Synonyms of evade

evade

verb

i-ˈvād 

as in to avoid

to get or keep away from (as a responsibility) through cleverness or trickery

people who use every loophole in the law to evade paying taxes

Synonyms & Similar Words

• avoid
• escape
• elude
• dodge
• shun
• eschew
• prevent
• deflect
• shake
• eliminate
• scape
• steer clear of
• keep clear of
• shirk
• shuffle (out of)
• circumvent
• finesse
• duck
• fight shy of
• thwart
• get around
• obviate
• stay clear of
• preclude
• avert
• exclude
• weasel (out of)
• miss
• parry
• divert
• ward (off)
• rule out
• outwit
• debar
• bypass
• ban
• frustrate
• outsmart
• except
• foil
• outfox
• bar
• fox
• overreach
• skirt

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• seek
• accept
• pursue
• embrace
• welcome
• catch
• incur
• court
• contract

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb evade contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of evade are avoid, elude, escape, eschew, and shun. While all these words mean "to get away or keep away from something," evade implies adroitness, ingenuity, or lack of scruple in escaping or avoiding.

evaded the question by changing the subject

When would avoid be a good substitute for evade?

While the synonyms avoid and evade are close in meaning, 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 evade?

In some situations, the words elude and evade are roughly equivalent. However, elude implies a slippery or baffling quality in the person or thing that escapes.

what she sees in him eludes me

In what contexts can escape take the place of evade?

The meanings of escape and evade largely overlap; 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

When could eschew be used to replace evade?

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

a playwright who eschews melodrama

When can shun be used instead of evade?

The words shun and evade are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, 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

Recent Examples of evade

Not necessarily more accurately, but with a lucidity that may have evaded them till now. —Literary Hub, 8 Apr. 2026

Though the yoga teacher initially evaded arrest by fleeing to Costa Rica and undergoing around $6,000 in plastic surgery to alter her appearance, she was captured a month later. —Emily Blackwood, PEOPLE, 7 Apr. 2026

Their will to survive, their will to evade, their will to recover, is everything. —Kevin Liptak, CNN Money, 6 Apr. 2026

This was an incredibly complex and dangerous operation for the rescue team and for that missing Air Force aviator who had evaded capture behind enemy lines for days. —ABC News, 5 Apr. 2026