evade

verb

\ i-ˈvād

, ē-\

evaded; evading

Definition of evade

intransitive verb

1 : to slip away

2 : to take refuge in escape or avoidance

transitive verb

1 : to elude by dexterity or stratagem

2a : to avoid facing up to evaded the real issues

b : to avoid the performance of : dodge, circumvent especially : to fail to pay (taxes)

c : to avoid answering directly : turn aside

3 : to be elusive to : baffle the simple, personal meaning evaded them— C. D. Lewis

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Choose the Right Synonym for evade

escape, avoid, evade, elude, shun, eschew mean to get away or keep away from something. escape stresses the fact of getting away or being passed by not necessarily through effort or by conscious intent. nothing escapes her sharp eyes avoid stresses forethought and caution in keeping clear of danger or difficulty. try to avoid past errors evade implies adroitness, ingenuity, or lack of scruple in escaping or avoiding. evaded the question by changing the subject elude implies a slippery or baffling quality in the person or thing that escapes. what she sees in him eludes me shun often implies an avoiding as a matter of habitual practice or policy and may imply repugnance or abhorrence. you have shunned your responsibilities eschew implies an avoiding or abstaining from as unwise or distasteful. a playwright who eschews melodrama

Examples of evade in a Sentence

The criminals have so far managed to evade the police. a politician skilled at evading difficult questions The governor has been accused of evading the issue.

Recent Examples on the Web

Not surprisingly, things don't go as planned, and the episode ends with Leonard standing up to Jimmy ... and then promptly running out of the apartment with Sheldon to evade him. — Kayla Keegan, Good Housekeeping, "Eagle-Eyed Fans Noticed a Giant 'Big Bang Theory' and 'Young Sheldon' Error," 7 Feb. 2019 His co-defendant, Heidi Wivolin, 49, of West Palm Beach, was sentenced last month to 24 months in prison for mail fraud, filing a false tax return and attempting to evade paying taxes. — Lisa J. Huriash, Sun-Sentinel.com, "2 Palm Beach County investors sentenced to federal prison for fraud, tax evasion," 21 June 2018 Using techniques such as process hollowing to conceal malicious code within an existing system process to evade detection, Windows Management Instrumentation, and other alternatives to PowerShell to conceal activity on Windows systems. — Sean Gallagher, Ars Technica, "New data shows China has “taken the gloves off” in hacking attacks on US," 1 Nov. 2018 La Bamba's scheme enabled the companies to evade payroll and corporate taxes. — Jay Weaver, miamiherald, "Feds expose shadowy, $500 million check-cashing chain in Hialeah and its real owner," 2 July 2018 Then as now, police believed that the suspect had military or law enforcement training, which helped him evade detection. — Jan Hoffman, New York Times, "Do Serial Killers Just Stop? Yes, Sometimes," 26 Apr. 2018 Just a day earlier, the United Nations announced new economic measures against North Korea, blacklisting 27 ships, 21 shipping companies, and one individual accused of helping the North evade previous international sanctions. — Choe Sang-hun, BostonGlobe.com, "Amid skepticism on thaw, North Korean leader sees pop stars from South," 1 Apr. 2018 Moscow also continues a close relationship with Tehran, and the United States has accused Russia of helping North Korea evade sanctions. — chicagotribune.com, "Trump's remark to Putin that they could meet soon caught White House advisers by surprise," 21 Mar. 2018 Galveston police arrested one of its own officers on Friday, accusing him of working for a drug ring by tipping off dealers and helping them evade capture, the department's police chief announced. — John D. Harden, Houston Chronicle, "Galveston police officer arrested, charged with organized criminal activity," 23 Feb. 2018

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