shirk

verb

ˈshərk How to pronounce shirk (audio)
Definition of shirknext
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

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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 In the meantime, each of the three companies is shirking blame. — Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 5 June 2026 And Macy’s is still doing those in New York City this summer, so nobody’s shirking on the fireworks. — Paige Darrah, Condé Nast Traveler, 26 May 2026 Men don’t shirk family responsibilities. — Sean Gregory, Time, 26 May 2026 Paying influencers is legal, though state law requires both campaigns and the creators to disclose compensation, which the Becerra and Steyer campaigns have each accused the other of shirking in recent ethics complaints. — Lia Russell, Sacbee.com, 22 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for shirk
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shirk
  1. avoid
  2. neglect
  3. lurk
  4. evade
  5. forget
  6. sneak
  7. escape
  8. slip
Verb
  • But Beijing has also sought to avoid domestic fuel shortages by limiting its own fuel exports.
    — Matt Egan, CNN Money, 19 Aug. 2026
  • Seven-nine percent said to avoid a ticket, 72 percent said to avoid a crash, and 60 percent said because of bad weather, according to the research.
    — Doug Myers, CBS News, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of avoid
Verb
  • They were being imposed under Section 338 of the Tariff Act of 1930, a Great Depression-era law that has rarely, if ever, been invoked and has been neglected for decades.
    — Lim Hui Jie,Kevin Breuninger,Ashlee Trujillo, CNBC, 18 Aug. 2026
  • These groups contend the legislation rewards institutions neglecting Black voting representation and suggest boycotts to pressure Southern universities on redistricting.
    — Peter Chawaga, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of neglect
Verb
  • What strikes him is that the app users aren't always strangers lurking in the dark corners of the web.
    — Megan Cerullo, CBS News, 20 Aug. 2026
  • The idea lurking in the shadows is that rather than just individual characters, actual story arcs from the long saga of the beloved Clone Wars series could be remade or adapted into live-action.
    — Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of lurk
Verb
  • Mateychuk is an excellent skater, with clear NHL edge work and speed to be able to skate pucks up ice, evade pressure and close on checks.
    — Corey Pronman, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2026
  • Hennepin County’s top prosecutor calls the interstate clash over Castro’s transfer a needless test of states’ duty to honor extradition — and of whether federal agents can evade accountability.
    — Mark Vancleave, Los Angeles Times, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of evade
Verb
  • As if things weren’t already bleak, Milwaukee was gifted its 21st run after Julio Rodríguez forgot how many outs there were in the bottom of the eighth.
    — Johnny Flores Jr, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2026
  • Now Centennial has one of the best running backs in the state in Malaki Davis, plus Mater Dei transfer Kennie Leggett, so Drake starts his senior year pretty much forgotten and on the bench.
    — Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of forget
Verb
  • The mini bar—located inside a gorgeous wooden cabinet—was filled with local spirits like pox, a Mayan liquor made of corn, sugar cane, and wheat, and Mayalen Guerrero mezcal in a bottle so beautiful I was tempted to sneak it back in my suitcase.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 19 Aug. 2026
  • Wilyer Abreu and Adley Rutschman answered with RBI hits before Gasper's first Red Sox homer sneaked around Pesky's Pole in the seventh and Abreu hit an RBI single.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of sneak
Verb
  • The bear scratched his arm, and the victim tripped and injured his foot while trying to escape, according to Colorado Parks and Wildlife.
    — Jon Haworth, ABC News, 19 Aug. 2026
  • Roy can’t escape one difficult question, however, concerning his plans for what’s next after his contract’s up at the end of the season.
    — Keith Phipps, Vulture, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of escape
Verb
  • Even Wilfried Zaha, with all his on-pitch petulance, never allowed standards to slip.
    — Matt Woosnam, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2026
  • And unlike so many of today’s EVs, they’re actually designed to look good, and expose more of the powerful brakes behind, rather than optimized solely to slip through the air more cleanly to aid range.
    — Alistair Charlton, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of slip

Browse Nearby Words

shipyards
shirk
shirked
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Cite this Entry

“Shirk.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shirk. Accessed 22 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on shirk

Nglish: Translation of shirk for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about shirk

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