eschew

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb eschew contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of eschew are avoid, elude, escape, evade, and shun. While all these words mean "to get away or keep away from something," eschew implies an avoiding or abstaining from as unwise or distasteful.

a playwright who eschews melodrama

Where would avoid be a reasonable alternative to eschew?

The meanings of avoid and eschew largely overlap; however, avoid stresses forethought and caution in keeping clear of danger or difficulty.

try to avoid past errors

When is elude a more appropriate choice than eschew?

The words elude and eschew 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 could escape be used to replace eschew?

While the synonyms escape and eschew are close in meaning, 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 is it sensible to use evade instead of eschew?

The words evade and eschew can be used in similar contexts, but 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 eschew?

Although the words shun and eschew have much in common, 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 eschew Trump and Vance should eschew the fun and go with Hamilton over Jackson. Adrian Wooldridge, Twin Cities, 6 May 2025 Bill Smead, whose investment firm owns Berkshire stock and who attended this year’s annual meeting, said the conglomerate has already become less ambitious, eschewing potentially transformative deals. Michael J. De La Merced, New York Times, 4 May 2025 Back in 2011, the company eschewed royalty payments for the first $50,000 in sales for projects made with the newly free Unreal Development Kit. ArsTechnica, 2 May 2025 Rubio has largely eschewed his staunch advocacy of providing foreign aid and promoting democracy overseas since taking over the State Department, repeating a refrain that every policy or program should make America safer, stronger or more prosperous. Matthew Lee, Chicago Tribune, 2 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for eschew
Recent Examples of Synonyms for eschew
Verb
  • Make sure to maintain an upright torso and avoid leaning forward or backward.
    Laura Schober, Health, 13 May 2025
  • The policy is based in part on concerns over maintaining the integrity of the proceedings, avoiding media influence over jurors or witnesses, and protecting the privacy of individuals involved.
    Kate Nalepinski, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 May 2025
Verb
  • Engineered to evade interception by U.S. defenses such as THAAD, the missile presents a direct challenge to Western military dominance and poses a potential threat to regional allies like Israel.
    Amir Daftari, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 May 2025
  • Vita's Ukrainian mother (my grandmother) survived as an orphan for two years under German occupation and barely evaded being carted off to Germany to work as a forced laborer.
    Sasha Vasilyuk, Time, 8 May 2025
Verb
  • Found also faced a new story paradigm in Season 2 as one of the key elements of its premise changed with Sir (Mark-Paul Gosselaar) escaping from Gabi’s (Hampton) basement in the Season 1 finale.
    Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 9 May 2025
  • Wainwright, who had escaped from a North Carolina prison days before killing 23-year-old Carmen Gayheart, is scheduled to be put to death by lethal injection on June 10 at Florida State Prison.
    Jim Saunders, Sun Sentinel, 9 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Eschew.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/eschew. Accessed 20 May. 2025.

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