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 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 This wasn’t the first time Evans has been accused of shirking her obligations. — Audrey Pachuta, Chicago Tribune, 15 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
  • Former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms beat six opponents in the May Democratic primary for governor, winning 56% of the vote and avoiding a runoff.
    — Sophia Eppley, AJC.com, 16 July 2026
  • The House Energy and Commerce Committee is soon marking up healthcare price transparency legislation that could empower patients and employers with the upfront prices needed to avoid overcharges and choose affordable care.
    — Vivian Ho, Washington Post, 16 July 2026
Definition of avoid
Verb
  • Four Democratic candidates for county offices spoke before the march and described the jail system as a humanitarian crisis being neglected by the Republican majority elected to Tarrant County Commissioners Court.
    — Rachel Royster, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 July 2026
  • While it’s been neglected, trashed and often forgotten over time, myriad governmental and nonprofit groups have been working for years to restore habitat, add park space and establish recreational elements (sometimes in conflict over the vision).
    — Jireh Deng, Los Angeles Times, 13 July 2026
Definition of neglect
Verb
  • Helen and Daniel also spend some time lurking on the dark web, looking for an audio recording of the final minutes before Charlotte crashed.
    — Noel Murray, Vulture, 17 July 2026
  • Beneath all the splendor, the couture, the balls, and the opera lurked an undercurrent of hatred, one that would fester and erupt in ways both insidious and catastrophic.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 17 July 2026
Definition of lurk
Verb
  • Prosecutors alleged the companies disguised Chinese aluminum extrusions as pallets to evade antidumping and countervailing duties.
    — Kaelan Deese, The Washington Examiner, 14 July 2026
  • He was detained on August 8, 2025, and charged with DUI, evading arrest with a vehicle, and fleeing from police, according to ICE.
    — Rocío Muñoz-Ledo, CNN Money, 14 July 2026
Definition of evade
Verb
  • The final few episodes’ excessive melodrama is easily forgiven when what’s good here — above-average fights, solid jokes, and a game cast — isn’t so easy to forget.
    — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 15 July 2026
  • Handily, there is a Hollywood-esque REGENT sign plonked right there, should their Instagram followers ever forget where those selfies were taken.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 July 2026
Definition of forget
Verb
  • With that, though, will come more possession and more opportunities for France to sneak a goal in at some point.
    — Jim Barnes, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 July 2026
  • Argentina will be heavy favorite against a Switzerland team that reached the quarterfinals after narrowly sneaking past Colombia in a penalty shootout last time out.
    — Ben Church, CNN Money, 11 July 2026
Definition of sneak
Verb
  • For Yasira Tejada, the changes represent meaningful progress after escaping an abusive relationship nine years ago.
    — Steve Maugeri, CBS News, 14 July 2026
  • Astronomers had long suspected this unusual structure traced energetic electrons escaping along the Milky Way's magnetic field.
    — Samantha Mathewson, Space.com, 14 July 2026
Definition of escape
Verb
  • Spain was so determined to limit Mbappe’s clean looks in the final third that Simon would often leave the net to meet Mbappe in the open field whenever a rare through ball was able to slip past Spain’s elite midfield.
    — Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 July 2026
  • By night, people drift toward the beach, dinner tables fill, and music slips through the air.
    — Rafael Peña, Miami Herald, 15 July 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 19 Jul. 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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