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 The cubs also managed to elude cage traps large enough to hold a coyote. Brad Dokken, Twin Cities, 14 June 2025 This hinges on establishing consensus about strategy followed by crisp execution—challenges that McKinsey says eludes organizations. Clint Boulton, Forbes.com, 12 June 2025 The Premier League, except for the rights to televise its games in Spain and Portugal, has eluded it. Philip Buckingham, New York Times, 11 June 2025 The majority sees no problem in executing someone whose co-defendant might have been more culpable but was smart enough to cop a deal to elude the death penalty. Orlando Sentinel, The Orlando Sentinel, 10 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for elude
Recent Examples of Synonyms for elude
Verb
  • Last year, the Russians began including decoy drones with their Shahed drones to increase the likelihood of evading Ukrainian defenses.
    Vikram Mittal, Forbes.com, 28 June 2025
  • Cochran drove in a manner that indicated to Taylor that the sheriff was trying to evade him, Welch said.
    Joe Marusak, Charlotte Observer, 28 June 2025
Verb
  • Giving up athletics had an impact on her body and changes were required to avoid injury.
    Michael Cox, New York Times, 30 June 2025
  • Each week spent on development and every disaster avoided adds to the company’s financial, reputational and customer support success.
    Sai Sandeep Ogety, Forbes.com, 30 June 2025
Verb
  • Police on Friday captured one of the New Orleans parish inmates who escaped six weeks ago in a jailbreak Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry called the worst in recent state history.
    CBS News, CBS News, 27 June 2025
  • There is nothing inherently better about Rowling’s magic that would lead its users to escape the loss of a personal sense of accomplishment—or knowledge, skills, or tactility—and as the novels show, the threat of overuse looms as greatly over their existence as our own.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 26 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

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

More from Merriam-Webster on elude

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