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escape

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noun

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb escape contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of escape are avoid, elude, eschew, evade, and shun. While all these words mean "to get away or keep away from something," escape stresses the fact of getting away or being passed by not necessarily through effort or by conscious intent.

nothing escapes her sharp eyes

When could avoid be used to replace escape?

The words avoid and escape can be used in similar contexts, but avoid stresses forethought and caution in keeping clear of danger or difficulty.

try to avoid past errors

When is it sensible to use elude instead of escape?

The words elude and escape are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, elude implies a slippery or baffling quality in the person or thing that escapes.

what she sees in him eludes me

When is eschew a more appropriate choice than escape?

While in some cases nearly identical to escape, eschew implies an avoiding or abstaining from as unwise or distasteful.

a playwright who eschews melodrama

When can evade be used instead of escape?

In some situations, the words evade and escape are roughly equivalent. However, evade implies adroitness, ingenuity, or lack of scruple in escaping or avoiding.

evaded the question by changing the subject

When would shun be a good substitute for escape?

The meanings of shun and escape largely overlap; however, 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 escape
Verb
Even the most well-meaning fans can be fickle and entitled at times, especially when someone else’s emotions are viewed merely as a means of accessing, or escaping, their own. Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 4 Oct. 2025 Although no policies were violated, auditors recommended stronger vetting for revenue-generating contracts, which often escape scrutiny. Miami Herald, 3 Oct. 2025
Noun
With 60 minutes on the clock, participants are challenged to solve clues and riddles in order to make their escape. Paige Moore, AZCentral.com, 3 Oct. 2025 In March, Google addressed CVE-2025-2783, a sandbox escape bug exploited in espionage attacks against Russian organizations. Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 2 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for escape
Recent Examples of Synonyms for escape
Verb
  • At least eight Salvadoran officials who had been investigating MS-13 and corruption, including some who had worked with Vulcan agents, fled the country after threats, harassment, and searches of their homes and offices.
    T. Christian Miller, ProPublica, 30 Sep. 2025
  • After the shootings, McFarlin fled to Mono County, where sheriff’s deputies arrested him.
    Sharon Bernstein, Sacbee.com, 29 Sep. 2025
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
Noun
  • The kids associate helicopters with life flights to the local hospital, a sign that someone has been seriously injured, Cornelison said.
    John Wisely, Freep.com, 3 Oct. 2025
  • But, here's how the shutdown could affect you from mail to flights to the stock market.
    Lorenzino Estrada, AZCentral.com, 2 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Eventually charged with two murders, Pulawa got 15 years for tax evasion in 1973, and he was released in 1984.
    Glenn Garner, Deadline, 1 Oct. 2025
  • The other experiments used a tax evasion game that incentivized participants to misreport their earnings to get a bigger payout.
    Rachel Nuwer, Scientific American, 28 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Ross passed the day's examination with flying colors, barely flinching at the rubber chicken.
    Craig Shoup, Nashville Tennessean, 3 Oct. 2025
  • Swift recorded the album during her behemoth Eras Tour, flying in and out of Sweden between stops to lay down tracks.
    Liz Schubauer, USA Today, 3 Oct. 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
Noun
  • Shore break occurs when waves break directly on the beach.
    NC Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 6 Oct. 2025
  • The center will be open during Alverno's summer and winter breaks and fees will still apply, Steiner said.
    Gina Lee Castro, jsonline.com, 6 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Other auto digital features include auto fit-to-screen and automatic obstacle avoidance.
    PC Magazine, PC Magazine, 4 Oct. 2025
  • The film benefits from its avoidance of a too-tidy, sentimental outcome, even if some in the audience might be left craving one.
    David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 3 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Escape.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/escape. Accessed 7 Oct. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on escape

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