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
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
Qing Yuan opened the tap, gripped the edge of the trough, and ducked his head under the water.
—
Literary Hub, 23 Oct. 2025
His new changeup ducked under bats to bamboozle the Mariners’ lefties.
—Mitch Bannon, New York Times, 16 Oct. 2025
In a handshake attempt during the final seconds, Branch ducked Mahomes, prompting Chiefs wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster to approach him.
—Cole Sullivan, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Oct. 2025
Pressure arrived, and Allen ducked it initially to extend the play.
—Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 11 Oct. 2025
But Jane ducked under his hands and moved forward to the cage, a distance of about six feet.
—Ron Arias, PEOPLE, 5 Oct. 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
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
Literary Hub, 23 Oct. 2025
His new changeup ducked under bats to bamboozle the Mariners’ lefties.
—Mitch Bannon, New York Times, 16 Oct. 2025
In a handshake attempt during the final seconds, Branch ducked Mahomes, prompting Chiefs wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster to approach him.
—Cole Sullivan, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Oct. 2025
Pressure arrived, and Allen ducked it initially to extend the play.
—Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 11 Oct. 2025
But Jane ducked under his hands and moved forward to the cage, a distance of about six feet.
—Ron Arias, PEOPLE, 5 Oct. 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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ducked
Verb
-
Previous Japanese leaders have avoided discussing Taiwan in the context of a military response.—
Jessie Yeung,
CNN Money,
12 Nov. 2025
-
Margolick argues that Caesar avoided topical satire out of fear.—
David Denby,
New Yorker,
10 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
The number of cancellations doubled to 148 Tuesday, while the number of delays dipped somewhat to 2,133, the website reported.—
Marlene Lenthang,
NBC news,
6 Nov. 2025
-
Olaplex sales dipped in the third quarter, but surpassed Wall Street sales forecasts.—
Kathryn Hopkins,
Footwear News,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Bears quarterback Caleb Williams hit tight end Colston Loveland with a pass and the tight end barely evaded two Bengals defenders, who hit each other instead of Loveland.—
Kyle Feldscher,
CNN Money,
3 Nov. 2025
-
The Bills shut down Patrick Mahomes and evaded the Chiefs for the fifth straight time in the regular season to improve to a secure 6-2 mark.—
Torrey Hart,
New York Times,
3 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
His biography was removed from the royal family's official website, and Prince William dodged a question alluding to his uncle's recent drama during his trip to Brazil this week.—
Stephanie Petit,
PEOPLE,
7 Nov. 2025
-
Yet, in a recent interview with fellow journalist Jorge Ramos, Mamdani dodged questions about whether Venezuela’s and Cuba’s rulers are dictators.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
30 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Rostyslav Semikov, who helped facilitate the trip, said the goal was for the Ukrainian doctors to be immersed in best practices.—
Ciara McCarthy,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
7 Nov. 2025
-
But you’ll still be immersed in nature and stillness, nonetheless.—
Lydia Mansel,
Travel + Leisure,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Other businesses, including a nearby convention center, restaurant and Ford assembly plant, escaped the blaze.—
Thao Nguyen,
USA Today,
6 Nov. 2025
-
The mailman paused, checking to see if anyone had noticed or knew the puppy had escaped.—
Liz O'Connell,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
One villager has drowned in flash floods in the eastern province of Catanduanes, officials confirmed to the Associated Press, while another died in Catbalogan city in eastern Samar province after being pinned by debris from a collapsed home.—
Desiree Anello,
PEOPLE,
9 Nov. 2025
-
Even more poignant, however, is the Rosemary's Baby angle, where the innocence of childhood is drowned in blood and the notion that a young person reared in a loving environment should develop into a compassionate adult is perverted into unthinkable horror.—
Alan Bradley,
Space.com,
8 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ducked.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ducked. Accessed 14 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share