Synonyms of shirk

shirk

verb

ˈshərk 

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

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

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

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

• neglect
• forget
• slack (off)

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• do
• remember
• perform
• attend (to)
• carry out
• achieve
• accomplish
• execute
• maintain
• keep up

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

• lurk
• sneak
• slip
• slide
• steal
• mouse
• snake
• crawl
• slink
• skulk
• pussyfoot
• creep
• tiptoe
• mooch
• edge
• ghost
• pad
• worm
• inch

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of shirk

During a livestream of a pre-pageant event, Itsaragrisil berated Miss Mexico’s Fátima Bosch, accusing her of shirking mandatory promotional responsibilities for the host country. — Brianna Zigler, Entertainment Weekly, 18 Aug. 2026

The Buñuelian skeptic in me also shirks at Fried’s approving references to Diderot’s petite église invisible, the small hidden church whose members—painters, critics, curators, patrons—are the vision-gifted serious pursuers of art history. — Carlos Valladares, ARTnews.com, 14 Aug. 2026

Legal Aid argued that the state was shirking its obligation to keep her and her children safely housed. — Spencer Norris, ProPublica, 9 July 2026

But more than ever before, Nouel said, women are shirking the expectations of previous generations and considering all of their options to happiness, instead of staying in relationships that don't serve them. — Madeline Mitchell, USA Today, 30 June 2026