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

The exultation by the president and others of the greatness of North Korea doing this evades me. — Fox News, "Politics of President Trump's foreign policy," 11 May 2018 That means the virus should have a harder time evading it by mutation. — Bradley J. Fikes, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Overlooked antibodies play star role in fighting flu, Scripps Research-led study finds," 6 Apr. 2018 Seacrest had been able to grab several worthy supporting acting nominees, but the night’s A-listers had evaded him, and the network scheduled an hour of red-carpet critique before the awards rather than interviews. — Daniel D'addario, Time, "Ryan Seacrest Was Exactly the Distraction the Oscars Didn't Need," 5 Mar. 2018 Bildsten first made the accusations about Walker looking to evade the open records law in a story published by the Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism in 2015, shortly after Bildsten left the administration. — Scott Bauer, The Seattle Times, "Second former Walker official comes out against him," 20 Aug. 2018 North Korea is believed to possess more than 50 nuclear warheads, with its atomic program spread across more than 100 sites constructed over decades to evade international inspections. — Washington Post, "Trump sees ‘new future’ for North Korea, but path unclear," 13 June 2018 North Korea is believed to possess more than 50 nuclear warheads, with its atomic program spread across more than 100 sites constructed over decades to evade international inspections. — BostonGlobe.com, "With summit over, Mike Pompeo makes visits to Asian allies," 13 June 2018 Syria and North Korea evaded international sanctions by shipping missile parts which would be assembled in Syria by North Korean technicians, Bechtol argues in his latest book. — Jamie Tarabay, CNN, "How Trump and Kim made it to 'hello'," 9 June 2018 Jenkins was also charged with evading in a motor vehicle. — Michela Garcia, Houston Chronicle, "3 arrested in 'bank jugging' sting near Katy," 1 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.