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
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2
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of ducked
The audio journalism winner was the staff of the podcast Pablo Torre Finds Out, which investigated how the Los Angeles Clippers basketball organization seemingly ducked the NBA salary cap rule by paying its star forward, Kawhi Leonard, extra money via an endorsement deal.
—
Neda Ulaby, NPR, 4 May 2026
Emily tried to nudge her daughter closer, but Henley pivoted and ducked behind her legs.
—Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 1 May 2026
Aptly, people ducked in, stayed for a few minutes, and exited noticeably calmer.
—Daniel Cassady, ARTnews.com, 1 May 2026
When shots were first fired on the floor above the ballroom, many guests ducked for cover under their tables.
—Max Rego, The Hill, 28 Apr. 2026
When shots were fired, hundreds of attendees ducked under tables or took cover inside the ballroom before being evacuated, and the event was subsequently postponed.
—Ashley Hume, FOXNews.com, 27 Apr. 2026
The president was evacuated off the stage as thousands of guests dived under tables and ducked for cover.
—ABC News, 27 Apr. 2026
The man filmed casually eating a salad as everyone else ducked for cover after shots rang out at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner is speaking out.
—Bethy Squires, Vulture, 26 Apr. 2026
Other guests at the event ducked under tables, and other armed agents flooded the room for protection.
—Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 26 Apr. 2026
Neda Ulaby, NPR, 4 May 2026
Emily tried to nudge her daughter closer, but Henley pivoted and ducked behind her legs.
—Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 1 May 2026
Aptly, people ducked in, stayed for a few minutes, and exited noticeably calmer.
—Daniel Cassady, ARTnews.com, 1 May 2026
When shots were first fired on the floor above the ballroom, many guests ducked for cover under their tables.
—Max Rego, The Hill, 28 Apr. 2026
When shots were fired, hundreds of attendees ducked under tables or took cover inside the ballroom before being evacuated, and the event was subsequently postponed.
—Ashley Hume, FOXNews.com, 27 Apr. 2026
The president was evacuated off the stage as thousands of guests dived under tables and ducked for cover.
—ABC News, 27 Apr. 2026
The man filmed casually eating a salad as everyone else ducked for cover after shots rang out at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner is speaking out.
—Bethy Squires, Vulture, 26 Apr. 2026
Other guests at the event ducked under tables, and other armed agents flooded the room for protection.
—Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 26 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ducked
Verb
-
Catalan-Torreblanca had previously avoided the database because his only prior criminal history was a misdemeanor DUI arrest, which does not require a DNA swab, according to authorities.—
Alexandra Koch,
FOXNews.com,
7 May 2026
-
The Supreme Court announcing the VRA decision closer to the end of its term next month could have avoided this 11th-hour frenzy.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
6 May 2026
Verb
-
In the middle of last month, for example, rates briefly dipped under 6% for 30-year terms.—
Matt Richardson,
CBS News,
8 May 2026
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In Nagoro, a remote village in Tokushima Prefecture, the population has dipped from 300+ to less than 30.—
Mark Dent,
HubSpot,
8 May 2026
Verb
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While testing the model, Anthropic discovered decades-old software flaws and bugs that had evaded millions of previous attempts.—
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld,
Fortune,
2 May 2026
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After Noah Cates won the faceoff back to Cam York, York moved the puck to Michkov, who evaded Penguins center Ben Kindel and sent the puck back to York for the series-winner.—
Shayna Goldman,
New York Times,
1 May 2026
Verb
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Steyer also dodged questions about financing the idea at Tuesday’s rally.—
Grant Stringer,
Mercury News,
7 May 2026
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Dreaded by some, dodged by others, and abolished by at least one executive entirely, quarterly earnings calls remain must-listen rituals for Wall Street and the business press, but not for most consumers or even rank‑and‑file employees.—
Rachel Ventresca,
Fortune,
6 May 2026
Verb
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Growing up in working-class Altadena as the second child of a silversmith mother and metalworker father, both of whom have a master’s degree in art and an aversion to television, Chambers spent much of his life immersed in the robust arts-and-crafts scene of Pasadena in the early 2000s.—
Christopher Buchanan,
Los Angeles Times,
6 May 2026
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Newlyweds Venus Williams and Andrea Preti were in attendance and appear to still be immersed in honeymoon bliss.—
Elizabeth Ayoola,
Essence,
5 May 2026
Verb
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Last night, the Knicks barely escaped over the 76ers, and the Spurs blew out the Timberwolves.—
David Troy,
FOXNews.com,
7 May 2026
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In another case, a female monkey escaped her cage due to a welding failure, according to the inspection report.—
Corey Schmidt,
Sacbee.com,
7 May 2026
Verb
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Michelle said medical professionals at the hospital told her that Juan drowned after his leg got caught in the lake's fountain, trapping him under the water.—
Nicole Comstock,
CBS News,
28 Apr. 2026
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In 2018, 32-year-old Francis Roselin, of West Palm Beach, drowned while enjoying festivities on the water.—
Julia Bonavita,
FOXNews.com,
27 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ducked.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ducked. Accessed 12 May. 2026.
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