SHIRK Synonyms: 86 Similar and Opposite Words

shirk

verb

ˈshərk

Definition of shirk

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

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

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 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 Nick, desperate to return to the present, shirks the doting parents and brother who long to comfort him. — Sam Bodrojan, IndieWire, 17 June 2026 In the meantime, each of the three companies is shirking blame. — Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 5 June 2026 Men don’t shirk family responsibilities. — Sean Gregory, Time, 26 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for shirk

Recent Examples of Synonyms for shirk

Verb

During the prime years of her career, while widely acknowledged as an exceptional Schubert singer with impeccable German diction, Anderson still avoided expounding on the music.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 10 Sep. 2026
Bowman just got out from under a massive long-term contract (Darnell Nurse), and should avoid another with an aging (albeit substantial) talent.

— Allan Mitchell, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026

Definition of avoid

Verb

After neglecting naval shipbuilding for a generation, the Pentagon and Congress are spending unprecedented sums to jumpstart submarine construction.

— Edmund H. Mahony, Hartford Courant, 7 Sep. 2026
Milei, a right-wing libertarian who has applied shock therapy to Argentina’s economy since taking office in late 2023, has come under increasing pressure from the opposition, which has accused him of neglecting Argentina’s sovereignty claim.

— ABC News, ABC News, 4 Sep. 2026

Definition of neglect

Verb

Nobody seems to work much, though, the employees are consumed by gossip, crushes, and confusion about their coworkers, superiors, and others who lurk in their building.

— James Folta, Literary Hub, 10 Sep. 2026
While society pushes forward, there’s no promise that an even deadlier virus isn’t already lurking out of sight.

— Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 10 Sep. 2026

Definition of lurk

Verb

Garcia entered a plea and was convicted of evading police officers before his trial in June.

— Rosalio Ahumada, Sacbee.com, 8 Sep. 2026
During the Paris Commune of 1871, a socialist tailor named Herminie Cadolle experimented with corset design in the hope of allowing women to move around more freely and, presumably, evade the gendarmes.

— Jennifer Wilson, New Yorker, 7 Sep. 2026

Definition of evade

Verb

Every round, the players put on googly-eyed glasses that obscure their vision while Sam sneaks over to tap a Spy, who removes their glasses so Sam can point out which object fits the prompt.

— Tasha Robinson, Vulture, 8 Sep. 2026
To be clear, many of these live recordings are sourced from fans who snuck cassette recorders into concert halls.

— Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 8 Sep. 2026

Definition of sneak

Verb

Smith, too, struggled to escape the clutches of a Burnley defence that saw Hjalmar Ekdal replace the tiring Igor midway through the second half.

— Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026
Thieves broke into a museum devoted to the work of Pierre-Auguste Renoir in the South of France early this morning, making off with four paintings by the French Impressionist before dropping two in the garden in their haste to escape.

— News Desk, Artforum, 8 Sep. 2026

Definition of escape

Verb

While the airline and ground control argued over replacements, a group of eight highly experienced traveling grooms, including Vard, slipped into emergency mode.

— Danielle Rossingh, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026
Boston Scientific — The medical device maker slipped more than 2% after the company said a recent cyberattack likely impacted sales and profit targets for 2026.

— Fred Imbert, CNBC, 8 Sep. 2026

Definition of slip

Browse Nearby Words

shipyards

shirk

shirked

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“Shirk.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shirk. Accessed 14 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of shirk

verb

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