avoided

verb

past tense of avoid
1
as in evaded
to get or keep away from (as a responsibility) through cleverness or trickery trying to avoid writing thank-you notes for the gifts he didn't like

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in abolished
to put an end to by formal action asked the court to avoid the contract because it was signed under duress

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of avoided In fact, Nelson deliberately avoided casting into the area where Robertson had been catching his fish, despite the enormous money at stake. — Amber Harding Outkick, FOXNews.com, 1 Nov. 2026 Boise State football avoided a near-catastrophic home defeat to Texas State last night, eking out a 46-45 win despite the visiting Bobcats embarking on a 36-0 second-half run. — Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 1 Nov. 2026 Mourning a son Since that day, Madrigal has avoided the Seventh Street Bridge. — Eleanor Nash, Kansas City Star, 30 Oct. 2026 That is a big problem, but it can be avoided with a couple of creative tools in your workflow. — Dustin Callif, Forbes.com, 30 Oct. 2026 Patients largely avoided drug, with the whole episode culminating in investigations by the media and Congress that demonstrated improper pressure by the manufacturer on the FDA leading to the approval decision. — C. Joseph Ross Daval, STAT, 30 Oct. 2026 Instead, what appealed to him was precisely what the screenplay avoided. — Essie Assibu, Variety, 30 Oct. 2026 Talarico has avoided making joint appearances with national politicians. — Caroline Mimbs Nyce, New Yorker, 29 Oct. 2026 In September, roughly 40% of crude exports from the Gulf avoided the strait altogether compared with 17% before the war. — Chris Roemer, Baltimore Sun, 29 Oct. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for avoided
  1. evaded
  2. abolished
  3. escaped
  4. repealed
  5. prevented
  6. canceled
  7. dodged
  8. overturned
Verb
  • John, whose descendants remember him as savvy and tenacious, evaded the racist federal ban on Chinese immigrants by assuming a new identity.
    — Gaby Del Valle, The Verge, 29 Oct. 2026
  • On his lone touchdown pass, Mayfield escaped Carolina pressure, evaded to the right, and threw it on the run, off his back foot, all while leaning back.
    — Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 25 Oct. 2026
Definition of evaded
Verb
  • The state’s electorate reaffirmed its support a decade ago, voting down a ballot initiative that would have abolished capital punishment.
    — Sonja Sharp, Los Angeles Times, 5 Nov. 2026
  • Both Weir and Khan have expressed their wishes for the reinstatement of tax-free shopping (abolished in 2021) for overseas visitors — a proposal that was met with cheers at the BFC’s fashion week breakfast this year.
    — Joe Bobowicz, Vogue, 29 Oct. 2026
Definition of abolished
Verb
  • Three women inmates escaped a transport van in the midst of the fire chaos, and Mickey needed her troops to find the missing convicts instead of helping with the fire.
    — Megan Vick, Variety, 7 Nov. 2026
  • Stayner first became notable as the older brother of Steven Stayner, who escaped a 1972 kidnapping in 1980.
    — Leigh Egan, FOXNews.com, 7 Nov. 2026
Definition of escaped
Verb
  • However, some of the ballot language in Measure G unintentionally repealed Measure J — an administrative error that was discovered in June 2025.
    — Itzel Luna, Los Angeles Times, 4 Nov. 2026
  • The vaccine requirements are an agency rule, not in state law, and can be repealed by the agency itself without legislative approval.
    — News Service Of Florida, Sun Sentinel, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of repealed
Verb
  • His five runs prevented matched Durbin and Minnesota Twins infielder Brooks Lee among AL third basemen.
    — Jaylon Thompson, Kansas City Star, 2 Nov. 2026
  • In September of 2025, a De’Von Achane sliver of a foot stepping out of bounds prevented the Dolphins from taking a late lead on the eventual AFC champions.
    — Steve Svekis, Sun Sentinel, 1 Nov. 2026
Definition of prevented
Verb
  • Pope Leo personally pushed ahead with the visit In the aftermath of his surgery, many speculated that the trip would be canceled.
    — Christopher Lamb, CNN Money, 6 Nov. 2026
  • The effort comes as the island faces chronic outages and water shortages, while federal officials have canceled major solar programs intended to help low-income residents.
    — Dánica Coto, Los Angeles Times, 6 Nov. 2026
Definition of canceled
Verb
  • Take a Fall Hike Galena sits on the southern edge of the Driftless Area, where rivers and rocky bluffs dodged the flattening force of glaciers long ago.
    — Julia Sayers Gokhale, Midwest Living, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Oregon’s Lanning compares UCLA to national champs Oregon coach Dan Lanning dodged questions this past week about the health of quarterback Dante Moore following a brutal hit during a win over USC by trying to focus on UCLA.
    — Marisa Ingemi, Los Angeles Times, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of dodged
Verb
  • The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) overturned the restriction on Friday after multiple appeals from the Russian Ice Hockey Federation, allowing the country’s men’s and women’s teams to compete in the 2027 championships.
    — Justin Birnbaum, Sportico.com, 4 Nov. 2026
  • Across the country, people voted in the midterm elections to significantly expand who holds power in America, all over a single night in which decades of political precedent were overturned.
    — Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 4 Nov. 2026
Definition of overturned

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avoidances
avoided
avoiding
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Cite this Entry

“Avoided.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/avoided. Accessed 8 Nov. 2026.

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