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
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Recent Examples of shirk
By contrast, the drama-less previous season, All Stars 9, shirked eliminations entirely in favor of playing for charity.
—
Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 30 May 2025
Firms are also shirking responsibility for duties and seeking to pawn tariff costs off on suppliers.
—Kate Nishimura, Sourcing Journal, 22 May 2025
Just a few years earlier, in a 1993 profile in Vibe magazine, Mr. Combs had seemed to shirk all responsibility.
—Ben Sisario, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2025
On Thursday — on Opening Day! — the state auditor’s office is scheduled to release a report that could say whether the team has shirked its maintenance responsibilities at Angel Stadium.
—Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 25 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shirk
Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 30 May 2025
Firms are also shirking responsibility for duties and seeking to pawn tariff costs off on suppliers.
—Kate Nishimura, Sourcing Journal, 22 May 2025
Just a few years earlier, in a 1993 profile in Vibe magazine, Mr. Combs had seemed to shirk all responsibility.
—Ben Sisario, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2025
On Thursday — on Opening Day! — the state auditor’s office is scheduled to release a report that could say whether the team has shirked its maintenance responsibilities at Angel Stadium.
—Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 25 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shirk
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shirk
Verb
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Without an aisle, the box occupants must seat themselves in order from front to back to avoid climbing over one another.—
Judith Martin,
The Orlando Sentinel,
30 June 2025
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Don’t say Discovery The language in the Senate bill avoids any mention of the Smithsonian, Space Center Houston, Discovery, or even the space shuttle.—
Robert Pearlman,
ArsTechnica,
30 June 2025
Verb
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Android apps have long neglected larger form factors because Google itself was neglecting those devices.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
30 June 2025
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In the aftermath of the shooting, Baldwin, whose involuntary manslaughter case was dismissed for misconduct by prosecutors, was widely criticized for neglecting to follow these guidelines.—
Winston Cho,
HollywoodReporter,
30 June 2025
Verb
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MacBook Pro’s Faster Connectivity Alongside the M5 upgrade offering a 15 to 20 percent uplift in pure performance, another speedy upgrade is lurking inside the spec leaks of the next macOS laptop, namely Wi-Fi 7.—
Ewan Spence,
Forbes.com,
28 June 2025
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According to police estimates, there are over 450 active gangs, whose memberships total more than 45,000, lurking in Los Angeles alone.—
Mia Cathell,
The Washington Examiner,
27 June 2025
Verb
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Last year, the Russians began including decoy drones with their Shahed drones to increase the likelihood of evading Ukrainian defenses.—
Vikram Mittal,
Forbes.com,
28 June 2025
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Cochran drove in a manner that indicated to Taylor that the sheriff was trying to evade him, Welch said.—
Joe Marusak,
Charlotte Observer,
28 June 2025
Verb
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So does the rage that accompanies it, and the need to not just forget the past but the temptation to erase yourself from the present.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
27 June 2025
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Hiking and Camping Deals Don't forget to check out our guide to the Best Day-Hiking Backpacks and the Best Travel Bags.—
Scott Gilbertson,
Wired News,
27 June 2025
Verb
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While Lian was staring in the mirror practicing her hows and lows and preparing for her future, Wenyu was sneaking out of prep class more and more frequently to pull petty pranks with her new boyfriend.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
1 July 2025
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At the end of Season 2, In-ho so graciously betrays everybody and eventually sneaks away from the pack, fakes his own death of the walkie talkie, and then puts his mask back on and punishes Gi-hun for causing this whole revolt and shoots and kills his best friend right in front of him.—
Jim Halterman,
Variety,
1 July 2025
Verb
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Police on Friday captured one of the New Orleans parish inmates who escaped six weeks ago in a jailbreak Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry called the worst in recent state history.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
27 June 2025
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There is nothing inherently better about Rowling’s magic that would lead its users to escape the loss of a personal sense of accomplishment—or knowledge, skills, or tactility—and as the novels show, the threat of overuse looms as greatly over their existence as our own.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
26 June 2025
Verb
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Notifications ping, Slack channels light up, and deep work slips further away.—
Jodie Cook,
Forbes.com,
26 June 2025
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Inside each room, guests can slip into traditional Japanese house garb (provided complimentary by the hotel), admire modern decor by designer Tony Chi, or take a dip in the jacuzzi-style tub.—
Audrey Lee,
Architectural Digest,
26 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Shirk.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shirk. Accessed 8 Jul. 2025.
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