SHIRK Synonyms: 86 Similar and Opposite Words

shirk

verb

ˈshərk

as in to avoid

to get or keep away from (as a responsibility) through cleverness or trickery you always try to shirk paying your fair share of the bill by claiming you "forgot" your wallet

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to neglect

to leave undone or unattended to especially through carelessness a deadbeat who has been shirking his duty to his family for years

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to lurk

to move about in a sly or secret manner given the multitude of auditoriums at the multiplex, it's not too difficult for underaged kids to shirk into R-rated movies

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of shirk Paying influencers is legal, though state law requires both campaigns and the creators to disclose compensation, which the Becerra and Steyer campaigns have each accused the other of shirking in recent ethics complaints. —

Lia Russell, Sacbee.com, 22 May 2026 Mitsuye, working full-time as a professor of English and creative writing at Cypress College, didn’t shirk her duties as much as delegate them, taking something of a chief executive’s approach to parenting. —

Andre Mouchard, Daily News, 9 May 2026 Hong Kong — China’s top spy agency has come out of the shadows to warn that its young people are being duped by foreign forces into shirking hard work and prioritizing their individual emotions at the expense of national development. —

Sylvie Zhuang, CNN Money, 7 May 2026 There is no question about his attitude or application; this is not a case of a player who has shirked responsibility or failed to work hard enough in training or in matches. —

Matt Woosnam, New York Times, 21 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for shirk

Recent Examples of Synonyms for shirk

Verb

Manhattan matchup The two super PAC networks have largely shied away from producing ads that mention AI and have mostly chosen to avoid competing against each other in the same races.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 21 June 2026
Drivers are being advised to take alternate routes and to avoid the area.

— Jeramie Bizzle, CBS News, 21 June 2026