evade

verb

i-ˈvād 

ē-

evaded; evading

intransitive verb

1

: to slip away

2

: to take refuge in escape or avoidance

transitive verb

1

: to elude by dexterity or stratagem

2

a

: 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

evadable

i-ˈvā-də-bəl 

ē-

adjective

evader noun

Synonyms

• avoid
• dodge
• duck
• elude
• escape
• eschew
• finesse
• get around
• scape
• shake
• shirk
• shuffle (out of)
• shun
• weasel (out of)

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

Gonzalez made a pass to Tyler Bagley, who evaded defender Grant Stoneman and ripped a shot that was blocked by Loyal goalkeeper Koke Vegas. —Ivan Carter, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Sep. 2023

The mother desperately endeavors to care for her withholding daughter; the daughter evades her efforts. —Jane Hu, The New Yorker, 23 Sep. 2023

And in that scenario, Columbus and his Spanish sponsors do not evade responsibility for infecting Europe, something that could be viewed as the Americas’ revenge for their exploitation. —WIRED, 22 Sep. 2023

Martin said investigators believe Mason has been in the Indianapolis area and evading police the past two years. —Ben Brasch, Washington Post, 21 Sep. 2023

One of their more notable recent creations — a video in which Black, as Super Mario, emerges from a pipe and evades lava in his backyard — was shot spur of the moment after Stephens texted him. —Jeff Gage, Los Angeles Times, 15 Sep. 2023

James, who evaded capture for about 30 hours before his eventual arrest in Manhattan, pleaded guilty to federal terrorism charges in January. —Danielle Wallace, Fox News, 14 Sep. 2023

Coulson explained that Smith faces 15 charges — 11 alleging separate instances of wire fraud, three counts alleging attempts to evade taxes, and one count accusing him of falsifying a tax return. —Cassidy Jensen, Baltimore Sun, 8 Sep. 2023

How long a fugitive can evade capture can depend on how much planning went into their escape, said Anthony Cangelosi, an adjunct professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice and a former U.S. Marshal and Secret Service agent. —Christopher Cann, USA TODAY, 8 Sep. 2023

See More

Word History

Etymology

Middle French & Latin; Middle French evader, from Latin evadere, from e- + vadere to go, walk — more at wade

First Known Use

1513, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Phrases Containing evade

• evade capture/arrest
• evade detection

• evade capture/arrest
• evade detection

Kids Definition

evade

verb

i-ˈvād 

evaded; evading

1

: to get away from or avoid by skill or trickery

evade a question

evade capture

2

: to escape the understanding of

the meaning of the message evaded them

evadable

-ˈvād-ə-bəl 

adjective

evader noun

Legal Definition

evade

transitive verb

i-ˈvād 

evaded; evading

1

: to unlawfully fail to pay (taxes) through fraudulent or deceptive means compare avoid

2

: to avoid answering directly

trying to evade the question