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
During the demonstration, the Dexory bot ducked under a low pipe near the ceiling and stopped before rolling around a person standing in its path.
—
Liam Rappleye, Freep.com, 28 Jan. 2026
Zayn leaped off the top, and Orton ducked.
—Blake Oestriecher, Forbes.com, 25 Jan. 2026
Once upon a time, Paul Thomas Anderson ducked into a movie theater in the Netherlands.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 22 Jan. 2026
Andy Byron, then CEO of tech company Astronomer, and the company’s Chief People Officer Kristin Cabot broke away from a cosy embrace and ducked for cover to avoid being caught on kiss cam.
—Will Barker, TheWeek, 30 Dec. 2025
Dugan and her attorneys left the courtroom, ducked into a side conference room and closed the door without speaking to reporters.
—CBS News, 19 Dec. 2025
Cabot immediately covered her face and turned away from the camera, while a stunned Byron ducked down and exited the frame.
—Christina Dugan Ramirez, FOXNews.com, 18 Dec. 2025
Inside, students studied for final exams and ducked for cover or barricaded themselves using furniture when shots rang out.
—Alicia Victoria Lozano, NBC news, 16 Dec. 2025
Oduro and about 20 students ducked and huddled behind a desk in front of the auditorium, the only refuge available, and called 911.
—Alaa Elassar, CNN Money, 15 Dec. 2025
Liam Rappleye, Freep.com, 28 Jan. 2026
Zayn leaped off the top, and Orton ducked.
—Blake Oestriecher, Forbes.com, 25 Jan. 2026
Once upon a time, Paul Thomas Anderson ducked into a movie theater in the Netherlands.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 22 Jan. 2026
Andy Byron, then CEO of tech company Astronomer, and the company’s Chief People Officer Kristin Cabot broke away from a cosy embrace and ducked for cover to avoid being caught on kiss cam.
—Will Barker, TheWeek, 30 Dec. 2025
Dugan and her attorneys left the courtroom, ducked into a side conference room and closed the door without speaking to reporters.
—CBS News, 19 Dec. 2025
Cabot immediately covered her face and turned away from the camera, while a stunned Byron ducked down and exited the frame.
—Christina Dugan Ramirez, FOXNews.com, 18 Dec. 2025
Inside, students studied for final exams and ducked for cover or barricaded themselves using furniture when shots rang out.
—Alicia Victoria Lozano, NBC news, 16 Dec. 2025
Oduro and about 20 students ducked and huddled behind a desk in front of the auditorium, the only refuge available, and called 911.
—Alaa Elassar, CNN Money, 15 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ducked
Verb
-
That last-minute development is reviving debate about the extent of state support for Vanke, one of the last major developers to have avoided an outright default after a broader property market slump sparked record debt failures in recent years.—
Bloomberg News,
Bloomberg,
28 Jan. 2026
-
Porter and Swalwell joined majorities of Democratic House members to support various spending packages in Congress, which included billions for a border wall and in at least one case, avoided a government shutdown.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
His scoring has dipped since conference play began, with only three double-digit games in eight tries.—
Tony Catalina,
Austin American Statesman,
30 Jan. 2026
-
Foegele has a great shot and his shooting percentage has dipped below 10 percent this season.—
Harman Dayal,
New York Times,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Deputies located and attempted to stop the vehicle a short time later, but the driver did not yield and recklessly evaded, and the pursuit was ultimately terminated in the interest of public safety.—
Anne Gelhaus,
Mercury News,
23 Jan. 2026
-
The men, who knew each other from prison, evaded law enforcement for roughly 36 hours, driving north and then heading back down south through Montana before they were arrested in Twin Falls.—
Alex Brizee,
Idaho Statesman,
20 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Sheinbaum has been incredibly vague about where her country stood, and this week has given roundabout and ambiguous answers to inquiries about the shipments, and dodged reporters questions in her morning press briefings.—
Michelle L. Price,
Fortune,
30 Jan. 2026
-
Sheinbaum has been incredibly vague about where her country stood, and this week has given roundabout and ambiguous answers to inquiries about the shipments, and dodged reporters' questions in her morning press briefings.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
So the pair dropped the idea and became fully immersed in creating the Key Biscayne Film Festival.—
Michelle F. Solomon,
Miami Herald,
27 Jan. 2026
-
Being immersed in generations-old craft, watching people who are supported, protected, and valued for their labor, gave me clarity.—
Anne McDonald,
Architectural Digest,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
One friend of mine, a former student, has escaped with her husband and baby to a remote island in northern Wisconsin.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Jan. 2026
-
Shortly after being resentenced, Thompson escaped from the Harris County jail in Houston by walking out the front door virtually unchallenged by deputies.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The young boys drowned after falling into an icy pond in Bonham, about 70 miles northeast of Dallas.—
Alexis Simmerman,
Austin American Statesman,
27 Jan. 2026
-
Among the deaths are three elementary school boys who drowned in an icy pond in Bonham, Texas, near the border with Oklahoma, according to CNN affiliate WOAI.—
Eric Levenson,
CNN Money,
26 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ducked.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ducked. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
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