1
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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
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
3
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
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Recent Examples of shirk
Schriver reiterated calls to rein in pharmacy benefit middlemen and take on foreign countries shirking their responsibility, and raised the specter of losing ground to China, an area of concern to Trump.
—
Arkansas Online, 2 Aug. 2025
As for the future of this tournament, with the next edition currently scheduled for 2029, Infantino hinted changes may be afoot but shirked direct questions.
—Adam Crafton, New York Times, 12 July 2025
In the court’s majority opinion, Justice Amy Coney Barrett forcefully pushed back against Jackson’s suggestion the court shirked on its duty to protect the people from government overreach.
—Ella Lee, The Hill, 27 June 2025
Michael Boxall’s desire to shirk the spotlight came out moments after the Minnesota United captain was made the center of attention Tuesday.
—Andy Greder, Twin Cities, 26 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for shirk
Arkansas Online, 2 Aug. 2025
As for the future of this tournament, with the next edition currently scheduled for 2029, Infantino hinted changes may be afoot but shirked direct questions.
—Adam Crafton, New York Times, 12 July 2025
In the court’s majority opinion, Justice Amy Coney Barrett forcefully pushed back against Jackson’s suggestion the court shirked on its duty to protect the people from government overreach.
—Ella Lee, The Hill, 27 June 2025
Michael Boxall’s desire to shirk the spotlight came out moments after the Minnesota United captain was made the center of attention Tuesday.
—Andy Greder, Twin Cities, 26 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for shirk
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shirk
Verb
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However, by sharing so much of Lisa's code, the interface practically demanded a pointing device, and the mouse was selected, even though Raskin had so carefully tried to avoid it.—
Cameron Kaiser,
ArsTechnica,
12 Sep. 2025
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These writers will work under the latest Public Television Freelance Agreement, which the WGA East ratified in December after a lengthy and sometimes contentious negotiation cycle with PBS, narrowly avoiding a strike.—
Katie Campione,
Deadline,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
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But Laura, used to getting away with murder, just neglected Daniel’s imaginary corpse after conjuring it.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
10 Sep. 2025
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To stand out in an industry where social media is largely neglected, manufacturers don’t need to post daily.—
Ethan Karp,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
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This quiz invites you to explore the darker corners of sci-fi literature, where monsters lurk not just in shadows, but in laboratories, alien worlds and post-apocalyptic wastelands.—
Kenna Hughes-Castleberry,
Space.com,
16 Sep. 2025
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Plus, a predatory stranger lurking on Roblox can’t DM their child on a landline.—
Stephanie Ganz,
Parents,
15 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Rather than provide food or temporary shelter for such workers in the colder months, municipalities would round them up and remove them, to save money and evade any responsibility to aid them.—
Time,
Time,
16 Sep. 2025
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In Milwaukee, Kellner said that around 33% of bus riders have evaded paying fares in 2025 but that the agency has identified a few cost-neutral strategies targeted at reducing fare evasion down to 30% by September 2026, the same rate of evasion busses saw in 2024.—
Claudia Levens,
jsonline.com,
15 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Neither will forget what Harbaugh did late in the blowout, when going for two points after a touchdown instead of kicking a PAT to signal everything was A-OK between the two.—
Jay Paris,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
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Don’t forget meds, food, clean ID tags, and anything else your dog might need on the trip.—
Wyles Daniel,
USA Today,
11 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Aloe vera sneaks in lightweight hydration, and wheat protein helps strengthen to keep breakage at bay.—
Christa Joanna Lee,
Allure,
10 Sep. 2025
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Read about a man who has snuck into prestigious events for nearly a decade.—
Alexandra Banner,
CNN Money,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Most want to see better protections and less exploitation of fighters so that they are exposed to the least amount of danger in a sport that cannot escape it.—
Sarah Shephard,
New York Times,
13 Sep. 2025
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If unable to escape, face the shore and call or wave for help.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
13 Sep. 2025
Verb
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What could have been a transformative meditation on mourning too often slips into surface-level spectacle, leaving the audience to piece together meaning from a scattershot collage of influences.—
David Hochman,
Forbes.com,
14 Sep. 2025
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The attempt was tipped and brought in by Locke, who slipped loose into the secondary before taking off for a 64-yard touchdown reception.—
Brendan Connelly,
Boston Herald,
13 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Shirk.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shirk. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
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