1
as in to avoid
to get or keep away from (as a responsibility) through cleverness or trickery
you always try to shirk paying your fair share of the bill by claiming you "forgot" your wallet
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to neglect
to leave undone or unattended to especially through carelessness
a deadbeat who has been shirking his duty to his family for years
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to lurk
to move about in a sly or secret manner
given the multitude of auditoriums at the multiplex, it's not too difficult for underaged kids to shirk into R-rated movies
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 shirk
MacKinnon is one player who hasn’t shirked his enthusiasm for this event.
—
Corey Masisak, The Denver Post, 10 Feb. 2025
The film necessarily presents a despairing view of America as its 20th-century glory days recede into the distance, but Schrader isn’t one to shirk away from some form of hope for his isolated priest.
—Vikram Murthi, Vulture, 21 Jan. 2025
Today the site is a museum and rum distillery that doesn’t shirk from its past.
—Patrick Scott, New York Times, 16 Jan. 2025
In others, municipalities shirked their legal requirement to share permit data with Kaegi’s office or shared it in a format that required time-consuming cleanup.
—A.d. Quig, Chicago Tribune, 16 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shirk
Corey Masisak, The Denver Post, 10 Feb. 2025
The film necessarily presents a despairing view of America as its 20th-century glory days recede into the distance, but Schrader isn’t one to shirk away from some form of hope for his isolated priest.
—Vikram Murthi, Vulture, 21 Jan. 2025
Today the site is a museum and rum distillery that doesn’t shirk from its past.
—Patrick Scott, New York Times, 16 Jan. 2025
In others, municipalities shirked their legal requirement to share permit data with Kaegi’s office or shared it in a format that required time-consuming cleanup.
—A.d. Quig, Chicago Tribune, 16 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shirk
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shirk
Verb
-
Until the masses adopt it, fraudsters can simply avoid platforms that require World ID and continue doing business as usual.—
Jennifer Jolly,
USA Today,
2 May 2025
-
These are the top shades for avoiding sun damage and small talk.—
Scott Gilbertson,
Wired News,
1 May 2025
Verb
-
After all, abortions after 12 weeks are provided in clinics, so focusing only on pills and telemedicine neglects patients who are further into their pregnancies or who require a larger range of pain-management options.—
Amy Hagstrom Miller,
Time,
1 May 2025
-
California’s utilities commission is neglecting its primary responsibility.—
Loretta Lynch,
Mercury News,
29 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Discovering your purpose doesn’t have to be complicated or grand, especially with the right guidance to help you to find what’s already lurking inside of you.—
Chris Westfall,
Forbes.com,
1 May 2025
-
But when threatening messages start popping up on Violet’s phone, an unseen enemy, lurking nearby, pushes her to poison her date.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
30 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
The Wisconsin Supreme Court has suspended a judge accused of helping a man evade immigration authorities.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
29 Apr. 2025
-
The key benefits of integration include: • Enhanced Threat Detection: By unifying security tools, organizations can achieve a holistic view of their threat landscape, enabling the identification of sophisticated attacks that might evade stand-alone systems.—
Bob Kruse,
Forbes.com,
29 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Just don’t forget to include a personalized card with your cash gift of any amount!—
Melissa Willets,
Parents,
29 Apr. 2025
-
Despite the riveting plot, the author teases to PEOPLE that her main character is going to be the aspect of the novel that readers aren’t likely to forget.—
Carly Tagen-Dye,
People.com,
29 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Two assailants sneaked into a camp of workers building the Z-Morh tunnel (an important highway project) and opened fire at the laborers and engineers.—
Ross Rosenfeld,
MSNBC Newsweek,
23 Apr. 2025
-
Brentford are sneaking up on the rails, a further two points adrift of Hurzeler’s side.—
Andy Naylor,
New York Times,
23 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Behind the Tigers’ strong start is Gleyber Torres’ subtle leadership Cade Cunningham, Pistons can’t escape growing pains that come with NBA playoffs Colton Pouncy is a staff writer for The Athletic covering the Detroit Lions.—
Colton Pouncy,
New York Times,
28 Apr. 2025
-
Tesla needs Musk's technical brilliance but can't escape the collateral damage of his polarizing public persona.—
Allen Adamson,
Forbes.com,
28 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
The stick itself also glides onto the skin very easily without slipping or getting caught in drier or harder-to-reach areas of the face.—
Danielle Jackson,
Glamour,
25 Apr. 2025
-
The polls show Trump has slipped three percentage points in his approval rating from March to April.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Shirk.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shirk. Accessed 6 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share