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 driver ran across the 2 Freeway to evade arrest and went through the backyards of several homes before hiding under a house in the 500 block of Lincoln Avenue. — Andy Nguyen, latimes.com, "8-hour standoff ends after Glendale police use tear gas to force out suspect," 3 July 2018 The jumping-off point for their defense of Trump is the recent FBI Inspector General report, which lambasted former director James Comey for evading Bureau protocol and announcing the reopening of the investigation of Hillary Clinton’s emails. — Jonathan Chait, Daily Intelligencer, "Trump’s Latest and Most Insane New Theory for Shutting Down Mueller Probe," 25 June 2018 Indeed, evading our awareness is something cognitive biases are precision-engineered by natural selection to do. — Robert Wright, WIRED, "Sam Harris and the Myth of Perfectly Rational Thought," 17 May 2018 The 34-year-old Chula Vista man was arrested on charges of burglary, felony evading police, and possessing property stolen from the apartment. — Pauline Repard, sandiegouniontribune.com, "La Mesa burglar leads chase to Chula Vista motel, is arrested," 9 May 2018 Theo Day evaded pressure and saw Laress Nelson behind the Michigan State starting cornerback. — Chris Solari, Detroit Free Press, "Michigan State football's veteran secondary gets deeper entering 2018," 5 May 2018 The Time Team so comfortable in their shoes that evading arrest with just a paperclip, confounding Jessica, becomes mundane enough to not even bother showing the action. — Rachel Kaufman, Smithsonian, "JFK’s Excellent Adventure: “Timeless,” Season 2, Episode 5 Recapped," 16 Apr. 2018 Smart bombs, typically, can evade missile-defense systems and then precisely hit the target. — Alex Ward, Vox, "The real (but small) danger of a US-Russia war over Syria," 14 Apr. 2018 Some experts have suggested Novichok, which is a Soviet-era poison made in the '70s to evade various chemical weapons treaties and provide a more stable, two-part agent that was harder to detect. — Nick Paton Walsh, CNN, "Poisoning of Russian spy raises troubling questions," 12 Mar. 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.