1
as in avoided
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
3
as in dipped
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
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 ducked
The second time her video captured the boat, the man had ducked down below, almost as if to hide from the camera.
—
Chris Spargo, PEOPLE, 30 Sep. 2025
Gardner ducked under the dark cloth and focused the image on the ground glass of his camera.
—Literary Hub, 29 Sep. 2025
Two men ducked behind the van as an agent wearing full tactical gear opened the driver's side door and looked into the rear of the vehicle.
—Peter D'abrosca , Brooke Taylor, FOXNews.com, 26 Sep. 2025
Then and there, on fourth-and-1 at the Steelers’ 28-yard line with barely a minute left, DeMario Douglas caught a short pass, ducked behind the line to gain and got tackled.
—Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 22 Sep. 2025
Customers ducked under tables before police came in and told them to run with their heads down out the back door of the restaurant, a man whose daughter was in the In-N-Out Burger at the time said in a comment on the sheriff’s department’s Facebook post about the crime.
—Sydney Barragan, Oc Register, 21 Sep. 2025
To get a break from the heat, festivalgoers ducked in and out of the Exposition Center and Broadbent Arena during the day to take advantage of merch tents and air-conditioning.
—Kathryn Gregory, Louisville Courier Journal, 20 Sep. 2025
Videos circulating online showed the gruesome scene as Kirk slumped over, and people ducked to the ground before running away and huddling in nearby buildings.
—Christopher Cann, USA Today, 11 Sep. 2025
Some instinctively ducked, covered their classmates or followed teachers’ directions.
—Dalia Faheid, CNN Money, 30 Aug. 2025
Chris Spargo, PEOPLE, 30 Sep. 2025
Gardner ducked under the dark cloth and focused the image on the ground glass of his camera.
—Literary Hub, 29 Sep. 2025
Two men ducked behind the van as an agent wearing full tactical gear opened the driver's side door and looked into the rear of the vehicle.
—Peter D'abrosca , Brooke Taylor, FOXNews.com, 26 Sep. 2025
Then and there, on fourth-and-1 at the Steelers’ 28-yard line with barely a minute left, DeMario Douglas caught a short pass, ducked behind the line to gain and got tackled.
—Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 22 Sep. 2025
Customers ducked under tables before police came in and told them to run with their heads down out the back door of the restaurant, a man whose daughter was in the In-N-Out Burger at the time said in a comment on the sheriff’s department’s Facebook post about the crime.
—Sydney Barragan, Oc Register, 21 Sep. 2025
To get a break from the heat, festivalgoers ducked in and out of the Exposition Center and Broadbent Arena during the day to take advantage of merch tents and air-conditioning.
—Kathryn Gregory, Louisville Courier Journal, 20 Sep. 2025
Videos circulating online showed the gruesome scene as Kirk slumped over, and people ducked to the ground before running away and huddling in nearby buildings.
—Christopher Cann, USA Today, 11 Sep. 2025
Some instinctively ducked, covered their classmates or followed teachers’ directions.
—Dalia Faheid, CNN Money, 30 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ducked
Verb
-
The former congresswoman insisted a shutdown must be avoided.—
Julia Manchester,
The Hill,
30 Sep. 2025
-
The early suggestions were that Newcastle were hopeful Livramento had avoided an ACL injury, though the 22-year-old is still expected to be sidelined for a potentially lengthy period.—
Chris Waugh,
New York Times,
30 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
And in fact, the ratio for Big Tech stocks, which have been driving the market surge, has actually dipped marginally.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
3 Oct. 2025
-
But by the afternoon shares were down 4%, and Musk’s net worth had dipped down to $490 billion.—
Chris Isidore,
CNN Money,
2 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Hauge skillfully evaded Porro for both of his goals.—
Jay Harris,
New York Times,
1 Oct. 2025
-
Frank evaded questions about whether Robertson has ever asked for extra benefits that are not allowed under the NBA salary cap.—
Janis Carr,
Oc Register,
29 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
But perhaps adding Luis Campusano to the taxi squad on Sunday and not immediately activating him was a clue that Díaz dodged a significant injury.—
Jeff Sanders,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
28 Sep. 2025
-
Seton House closed again in 2009, narrowly dodged demolition in 2011 when neighbors and Historic Denver organized to save it, and reopened as a homeless shelter in 2012.—
Justin Wingerter,
Denver Post,
25 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Jews are immersed in the spirituality of the holiday and proclaim their faith in God to accept their repentance, forgive their sins and seal their fate for a year of life, health and happiness.—
Krys'tal Griffin,
Freep.com,
2 Oct. 2025
-
Several of our testers noted their children were immersed in imaginative adventures that had pets swinging, taking baths, and tucking in for royal naps.—
Emily Glover,
Parents,
2 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
So the manager went back to Whitlock for a second inning of work in the eighth and Whitlock nearly escaped before running out of steam.—
Brendan Kuty,
New York Times,
2 Oct. 2025
-
Staff said the python likely escaped its home and asked for help finding the snake’s owner.—
Saleen Martin,
USA Today,
2 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
China began conducting the contentious patrols after a February 2024 accident in which two Chinese fishermen drowned near Kinmen while fleeing from Taiwan’s coast guard.—
Micah McCartney,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Oct. 2025
-
The 46-year-old former country star and 42-year-old actress suffered a tragedy in 2019 when their 3-year-old son River drowned in the pool outside their Texas home.—
Ashley Hume,
FOXNews.com,
28 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Soaked in a meaty mushroom stock, dredged in flour, and dunked in buttermilk, these crispy, tender mushrooms are extra delicious.—
Mary Alice Russell,
Southern Living,
29 Sep. 2025
-
Sure, the Oreo itself did its job, because Oreos rarely disappoint, but the heavy batter it was dunked in had the texture and flavor of a bad pancake.—
Endia Fontanez,
AZCentral.com,
22 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ducked.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ducked. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share