Synonym Chooser

How does the verb elude contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of elude are avoid, escape, eschew, evade, and shun. While all these words mean "to get away or keep away from something," elude implies a slippery or baffling quality in the person or thing that escapes.

what she sees in him eludes me

When can avoid be used instead of elude?

While the synonyms avoid and elude are close in meaning, avoid stresses forethought and caution in keeping clear of danger or difficulty.

try to avoid past errors

When would escape be a good substitute for elude?

In some situations, the words escape and elude are roughly equivalent. However, escape stresses the fact of getting away or being passed by not necessarily through effort or by conscious intent.

nothing escapes her sharp eyes

Where would eschew be a reasonable alternative to elude?

Although the words eschew and elude have much in common, eschew implies an avoiding or abstaining from as unwise or distasteful.

a playwright who eschews melodrama

When is evade a more appropriate choice than elude?

The synonyms evade and elude are sometimes interchangeable, but evade implies adroitness, ingenuity, or lack of scruple in escaping or avoiding.

evaded the question by changing the subject

When could shun be used to replace elude?

While in some cases nearly identical to elude, shun often implies an avoiding as a matter of habitual practice or policy and may imply repugnance or abhorrence.

you have shunned your responsibilities

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 elude When those forests burn today, the result is often hotter and more severe fires that elude any attempt at control. Tony Cheng, Space.com, 24 Sep. 2025 Mitchell faces fleeing and eluding, criminal mischief and resisting arrest. David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 23 Sep. 2025 An exact cause of autism has eluded the scientific community for decades. Rebecca Morin, USA Today, 22 Sep. 2025 Along the way, the recruits will be captured aboard a Star Destroyer, break out of a First Order detention cell, elude the clutches of Kylo Ren and escape back to a secret base on Batuu. Brady MacDonald, Oc Register, 19 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for elude
Recent Examples of Synonyms for elude
Verb
  • Slimy Lunch Meats Lunch meats are one of those things that often evade clean-outs.
    Heather Bien, Southern Living, 30 Sep. 2025
  • But when the Coast Guard approached on a 45-foot response boat, authorities said, the cuddy cabin boat began racing south to evade arrest.
    Teri Figueroa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Refrain from entering water that may have electricity in it and avoid walking through floodwaters.
    CA Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 4 Oct. 2025
  • Engelbert said Friday that the league and the Women’s National Basketball Players Association continue to meet and negotiate with the hopes of avoiding a work stoppage.
    Kevin Dotson, CNN Money, 4 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Previously, the story followed Zagreus, the painfully cool son of Hades who spent his days making a break for the surface world to escape the overbearing grip of his father.
    Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 27 Sep. 2025
  • Despite sustaining some minor injuries — Ethan sustained several cuts, scrapes and bruises while Brandon sustained a small burn on his forehead and scarring on his hands — the pair escaped relatively unscathed, physically.
    Abigail Adams, PEOPLE, 27 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Elude.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/elude. Accessed 5 Oct. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on elude

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