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 The best thing any family member, friend, religious or civic association colleague can do for a job seeker is to eschew admonition or advice; instead pitch in and provide direct assistance. Michael Bernick, Forbes.com, 27 Aug. 2025 Deep in Hawaii territory with a three-point lead and six minutes left, the Cardinal eschewed the ground attack that gave them the lead and decided to throw a pass. Erick Smith, USA Today, 26 Aug. 2025 Similarly, Romańczyk doesn’t eschew the presence of AI in medicine. Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 26 Aug. 2025 Romvari often eschews traditional point-of-view shots, and cinematographer Maya Bankovic complements that decision by favoring a long-lens shooting style with occasional zooms. Josh Slater-Williams, IndieWire, 13 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for eschew
Recent Examples of Synonyms for eschew
Verb
  • Take extra caution when on the road or avoid driving if possible.
    KANSAS CITY STAR WEATHER BOT, Kansas City Star, 6 Sep. 2025
  • Refrain from entering water that may have electricity in it and avoid walking through floodwaters.
    STAR-TELEGRAM WEATHER BOT, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 6 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • D'Angelo explained exactly what had happened to make that scene, in which a squirrel leaps out of the family tree, prompting the family to run around the house to try and evade it.
    Raechal Shewfelt, EW.com, 2 Sep. 2025
  • Analysts say Pyongyang’s focus now appears to be on refining payload capacity and survivability to ensure its arsenal can evade US and allied missile defenses.
    Kapil Kajal, Interesting Engineering, 2 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • With roughly 180 resorts spread across its atolls, there are dozens of worthy five-star escapes to choose from.
    Katie Lockhart, Travel + Leisure, 7 Sep. 2025
  • Auger-Aliassime played some of his best tennis since the early 2020s in the second and fourth sets, winning the former and having Sinner on the edge of going a break down for 3-1 in the latter, before the Italian escaped.
    Charlie Eccleshare, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Eschew.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/eschew. Accessed 8 Sep. 2025.

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