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

Other Words from evade Synonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about evade

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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

Lucky Brand’s tag pictured Shrek, a merino wool sheep found in a New Zealand cave that became famous in 2004 for evading shearing for six years. — Sarah Nassauer, WSJ, "Fiber Optics: Wool Lovers Battle Animal-Rights Crowd Over Sheep Shearing," 7 Jan. 2019 The 20-year-old athlete had already been suspended for evading a doping test. — Gerald Imray, The Seattle Times, "Anti-doping group moves to close loophole with lab in Kenya," 27 Aug. 2018 One allows for state prosecutions for evading New York income tax. — Bob Van Voris, Bloomberg.com, "What Pardons Can (and Can’t) Do for Trump’s Defense," 4 June 2018 Jewel smuggling, however, like any smuggling designed merely to evade duties, was confined to a comparatively small professional class, with now and then an occasional traveler who attempted to bring in something for his own use. — Popular Mechanics Editors, Popular Mechanics, "Rewind: What Guarding Uncle Sam's Borders Was Like in 1925," 11 Feb. 2019 The malware also faked mouse movements and used a variety of techniques to evade detection. — Suzanne Vranica, WSJ, "U.S. Charges Eight With Online-Ad Fraud," 27 Nov. 2018 There is a purely scientific application for the DelFly that includes studying and replicating insect flight dynamics and high-agility maneuvers, like the ones that fruit flies use to evade predators or humans. — Stefan Etienne, The Verge, "The DelFly Nimble robot can fly like a real insect," 14 Sep. 2018 Fresh among tiring legs, Firmino was able to evade the defense to get in the right place to score the second goal. — Rob Harris, Houston Chronicle, "Neymar leads Brazil past Mexico, into World Cup quarterfinals," 2 July 2018 The charge alleges that the company used commercial political advertising, social media, and data brokerage industries across nations to evade the guardrails that protect the institutions of democracy itself. — David Carroll, WIRED, "The US Should Pay Attention to Foreign Cambridge Analytica Probes," 15 June 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.