dodge

noun

\ ˈdäj

Definition of dodge

(Entry 1 of 3)

1 : an act of evading by sudden bodily movement

2a : an artful device to evade, deceive, or trick

b : expedient

dodge

verb

dodged; dodging

Definition of dodge (Entry 2 of 3)

intransitive verb

1a : to move to and fro or from place to place usually in an irregular course dodged through the crowd

b : to make a sudden movement in a new direction (as to evade a blow) dodged behind the door

2 : to evade a responsibility or duty especially by trickery or deceit

transitive verb

1a : to evade by a sudden or repeated shift of position dodge tacklers

b : to avoid an encounter with celebrities dodging the media

2 : to evade (something, such as a duty) usually indirectly or by trickery dodged the draft by leaving the country dodged questions

dodge a bullet or less commonly dodge the bullet

: to narrowly avoid an unwelcome, harmful, or disastrous outcome or occurrence coastal towns dodged a bullet when the hurricane veered out to sea

Dodge

biographical name

\ ˈdäj

Definition of Dodge (Entry 3 of 3)

Mary Elizabeth 1831–1905 née Mapes \ ˈmāps

\ American author

Other Words from dodge Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about dodge

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Examples of dodge in a Sentence

Noun

It was just another dodge to get out of working. just another dodge to get out of working in the yard

Verb

He dodged the first punch but was hit by the second. She dodged through the crowds as she hurried home. We dodged between the cars as we raced across the street. They managed to dodge the reporters by leaving through the back exit. She accused him of dodging his responsibilities as a parent.

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Enemy clarity is no small thing to lose during high-level combat, when a single bad dodge could be the difference between victory and loot-annihilating defeat. — Sam Machkovech, Ars Technica, "Diablo 3, Untitled Goose Game lead PAX West’s Nintendo Switch lineup," 4 Sep. 2018 Now, the tool includes upcoming holiday and school breaks—think Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Presidents' Day, and spring break—to provide destination inspiration, and make getting out of dodge even easier. — Katherine Lagrave, Condé Nast Traveler, "Google Wants to Plan Your MLK and Presidents’ Day Weekends," 17 Dec. 2018 Matthews points out that this is clearly a dodge: As a DC Circuit judge, Kavanaugh has to honor the precedent of the Supreme Court. — Jen Kirby, Vox, "Even most Republicans want to keep Roe v. Wade," 24 July 2018 At school, while other kids were playing dodge ball or skipping. — Kate Storey, Good Housekeeping, "Marie Kondo Reveals a Nervous Breakdown Led to Her Joy Method," 5 Jan. 2016 The pressure for the US to sanction Riyadh intensified after the Saudi government finally admitted last Friday that Khashoggi had been killed in the Saudi consulate in Turkey, after weeks of dodges and denials. — Jen Kirby, Vox, "The US will revoke visas for Saudi suspects in Jamal Khashoggi’s killing," 24 Oct. 2018 Older kids can check out the dodge ball courts and there’s an area for kids 4 years and younger. — Wendy Killeen, azcentral, "Indoor playgrounds, trampoline parks and places in Phoenix kids can play and stay cool," 24 May 2018 The debate dodge is not an unusual tactic for incumbents. — Stephen Sorace, Fox News, "House Democrat Tulsi Gabbard dodges debates in home state -- despite demanding them in 2016: report," 1 July 2018 The activities included seminars on fashion and beauty, panel discussions and a celebrity dodge ball game. — Anita Bennett, Fortune, "BET Awards Mulling Move From Los Angeles, Insiders Say (Exclusive)," 27 June 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

And yet, with its ludic meta-fictionality and the self-conscious construction of characters, the novel cleverly dodges knowable reality, circumventing the question of authenticity altogether. — Hermione Hoby, The New Yorker, "What Does It Mean to Be a “Real” Writer?," 3 July 2019 To protect our draft-dodging president from the sight of a ship flying the colors of the United States of America is a disgrace to our nation and to the men and women that serve us every day around the world, and to and their families. — Letters To The Editor, The Mercury News, "Letter: Hiding a U.S. Navy ship for a draft-dodger a disgrace," 4 June 2019 Female celebrities are constantly dodging pregnancy rumors. — Elise Taylor, Vogue, "The Deeper Meaning Behind Justin and Hailey Bieber’s Fake-Pregnancy Joke," 1 Apr. 2019 Gray dealt with traffic jams in his first two innings but was able to dodge trouble in the first, getting Adam Jones to ground the ball to Arenado at third, who started a double play. — Patrick Saunders, The Denver Post, "Rockies’ steamroller offense beats D-backs behind quality start from Jon Gray," 19 June 2019 Stay alert for sudden changes and know when to dodge and when to jump. — Phil Blair, San Diego Union-Tribune, "Rugby’s gung-ho spirit brings out the best in players’ post-career plans," 17 June 2019 Rosselli said Kankash and Sahar Salari dodged calls and left employees to deal with the fallout. — Robert Anglen, AZCentral.com, "Used-car nightmare: Arizona dealer didn't pay off trades or transfer title to buyers," 17 June 2019 The journalists dodged out of sight as the Biafran soldiers opened fire. — Emmanuel Iduma, The New York Review of Books, "‘Gone Like a Meteor’: Epitaph for the Lost Youth of the Biafran War," 30 May 2019 The staffers, too, have dodged engaging fellow Democrats. — Philip Elliott / Concord, Time, "Joe Biden Is on Top of the Democratic Primary Field. How Does He Stay There?," 5 June 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'dodge.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.