evade

verb

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 themC. D. Lewis
evadable adjective
evader noun
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 Premier League’s premier provider was able to pick out his teammate with a low cross from the corner and Stones evaded his defender to squeeze the ball into the Liverpool net. Thomas Schlachter, CNN, 10 Mar. 2024 The suspect is charged with evading arrest and was taken to the Colorado County Detention Facility. Audrey Conklin, Fox News, 8 Mar. 2024 The controversy shines a spotlight on the influential platform, which has largely tried to evade scrutiny since its launch about two years ago. Zachary Schermele, USA TODAY, 7 Mar. 2024 In early September, Gordon kidnapped yet another victim in an attempted to evade arrest, authorities said. James Hartley, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7 Mar. 2024 The revelations underscore the degree to which China has evaded American efforts to curb its hacking operations. Mike Isaac, New York Times, 7 Mar. 2024 But one scam that’s still relatively successful in deceiving people and evading spam filters is email spoofing. Sho Dewan, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024 Most of those apprehended are not trying to evade authorities but rather are trying to be detained by the U.S. Border Patrol, affording them a chance to seek asylum protections. Democrat-Gazette Staff From Wire Reports, arkansasonline.com, 1 Mar. 2024 Still, a healthy adult whitetail can often evade a wolf under normal conditions. Scott Bestul, Field & Stream, 28 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'evade.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of evade was in 1513

Dictionary Entries Near evade

Cite this Entry

“Evade.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/evade. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

evade

verb
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 adjective
evader noun

Legal Definition

evade

transitive verb
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

More from Merriam-Webster on evade

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