duck 1 of 2

verb

Definition of ducknext
1
as in to avoid
to get or keep away from (as a responsibility) through cleverness or trickery don't try to duck your commitment to spending Thanksgiving with your family by claiming you have to work

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to weave
to move suddenly aside or to and fro duck behind a pillar before they see us

Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in to dip
to sink or push (something) briefly into or as if into a liquid ducked the new camper in the lake as a joke

Synonyms & Similar Words

duck

2 of 2

noun

ˈdək How to pronounce duck (audio)
as in person
a member of the human race her coworkers regard her as something of an odd duck

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 duck
Verb
According to prosecutors, Gayden pulled out a knife from her bag and first lunged at the sister, who ducked. — Darius Johnson, CBS News, 5 Oct. 2026 Malick Yalcouye uses his space just outside the box not to shoot but to draw Pedro Neto and Hato out before slipping a pass through to Gross, who has ducked in behind Palmer. — Liam Twomey, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2026
Noun
Modernist vests are modeled on vintage duck-hunting garb, the forager pants are sewn with extra-deep pockets, and the garments are made to be loose but heavy enough to withstand a day in the kitchen or scavenging in the mountains. — Stephanie Breijo, Los Angeles Times, 7 Oct. 2026 Axar Patel bowled Rovman Powell for a three-ball duck and West Indies was down to 44-3 in the powerplay. — ABC News, 6 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for duck
Recent Examples of Synonyms for duck
  1. avoid
  2. weave
  3. dip
  4. person
  5. evade
  6. dodge
  7. dunk
  8. man
Verb
  • Recently, A'ja Wilson charged aggressively toward a fan in the stands and avoided a suspension.
    — Bobby Burack OutKick, FOXNews.com, 14 Oct. 2026
  • The group chose roads that would keep them moving, avoiding excessive stop-start riding at traffic lights and intersections wherever possible.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of avoid
Verb
  • On a recent Sunday afternoon, shoppers crowded the aisles at Tri Ocean Seafood Market on South Federal Boulevard, weaving around carts piled high with dragon fruit, Thai bananas and bundles of fresh herbs.
    — Sara Rosenthal, Denver Post, 11 Oct. 2026
  • The Ivy League college where fraternities throw parties in towering mansions and students weave between deep gorges on their way to class is being rocked over the handling of rape allegations from 2024.
    — Grey Battle, Washington Post, 11 Oct. 2026
Definition of weave
Verb
  • Fashion designers are dipping couture in peat; memes on Instagram offer help choosing your bog witch name.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Denver Water recommends disconnecting garden hoses and shutting off outdoor faucets before temperatures dip below freezing.
    — Tori Mason, CBS News, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of dip
Noun
  • Each of those raises the odds that a young person ends up in trouble, whatever the color of his skin.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Siluanov was in the meeting, according to a person familiar with the matter.
    — Anniek Bao, CNBC, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of person
Verb
  • The new Marvel series will see the hero grapple with his identity and humanity while evading a bounty hunter and reuniting with his son.
    — Tracy Brown, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Last year, a Houthi missile evaded Israel’s vaunted air defenses and impacted near Ben Gurion airport.
    — Tim Lister, CNN Money, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of evade
Verb
  • This moment is different, and all the advice about dodging this dodgy issue is now wrong.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2026
  • As other companies dodge the Grand Theft Auto juggernaut by avoiding the November release window, Nintendo's wholesome throwback is poised to stand out against the glitzy violence of Grand Theft Auto.
    — James Perkins Mastromarino, NPR, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of dodge
Verb
  • Like all of the burrito-centric businesses popping up around Los Angeles, Pulido offers an impressive array of salsa and condiments to drizzle or dunk in.
    — Jenn Harris, Los Angeles Times, 5 Oct. 2026
  • That includes dunking your head into a bowl of ice water to trigger your mammalian dive reflex.
    — Lennon Sherburne, NPR, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of dunk
Noun
  • The former weapon of mass destruction has been in hiding for some time, but a bounty hunter tracks him down and disrupts his quiet life before also discovering a young man who appears to be Vision’s son.
    — Tracy Brown, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2026
  • The jury members, comprising eight men and four women, took their place in Courtroom 3 of Southwark Crown Court for the first time.
    — Jake Kanter, Deadline, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of man

Phrases Containing duck

Browse Nearby Words

duchy
duck
ducked
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Duck.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/duck. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on duck

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about duck

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?
See More

Popular

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
artwork of illustrated limes with the text limes and smile with an arrow connecting the two words
Quiz: Spot the Anagram! Scramble these words to find new words with the e...
See All