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
Relevance
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
Importers are supposed to notify Cal Fire when a shipment arrives, but a Bee investigation found that the companies linked to the Esparto property shirked that requirement for years.
—
Jake Goodrick, Sacbee.com, 22 Jan. 2026
By shirking their duty to maintain order and protect agents, these local officials endanger lives and undermine national security.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 12 Jan. 2026
After Villa went 2-0 up, they were forced to withstand a spirited Tottenham fightback with the hosts scoring through Wilson Odobert in the 54th minute, and Rogers — scorer of the second in first-half stoppage time — did not shirk his defensive responsibility.
—Conor O'Neill, New York Times, 12 Jan. 2026
That’s so like Craig to shirk responsibility like a woman just asked him when he and his girlfriend are getting married.
—Brian Moylan, Vulture, 8 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for shirk
Jake Goodrick, Sacbee.com, 22 Jan. 2026
By shirking their duty to maintain order and protect agents, these local officials endanger lives and undermine national security.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 12 Jan. 2026
After Villa went 2-0 up, they were forced to withstand a spirited Tottenham fightback with the hosts scoring through Wilson Odobert in the 54th minute, and Rogers — scorer of the second in first-half stoppage time — did not shirk his defensive responsibility.
—Conor O'Neill, New York Times, 12 Jan. 2026
That’s so like Craig to shirk responsibility like a woman just asked him when he and his girlfriend are getting married.
—Brian Moylan, Vulture, 8 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for shirk
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shirk
Verb
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The Heat, which has needed to qualify for the playoffs through the NBA’s play-in tournament in each of the last three seasons, needs to finish among the East’s top six teams to clinch a playoff spot and avoid the play-in tournament.—
Anthony Chiang,
Miami Herald,
15 Mar. 2026
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The two sides are meeting for a fifth consecutive day Saturday in hopes of getting a CBA finished in a timely fashion to avoid any potential delays to the upcoming WNBA season.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
15 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Those cases typically involve transactions where land is neglected while transferring to a new owner or manager, with the involved parties either unable to or disincentivized from maintaining the property.—
Jake Goodrick,
Sacbee.com,
9 Mar. 2026
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The art of conversation is an important social skill, but parents often neglect to teach it.—
Barrie Gillies,
Parents,
9 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Jokic has fed him hundreds of alley-oops late in games when Gordon has lurked in the short corner, behind the last line of defense.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
6 Mar. 2026
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The media’s interest in the couple was at a fever pitch that summer, and leaked details would surely mean paparazzi lurking outside of their venue.—
Kate Storey,
Rolling Stone,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Deputies tried to pull the driver over, but the driver instead chose to flee, and during the chase, the driver allegedly turned his headlights off to try and evade deputies, the sheriff's office said.—
Jose Fabian,
CBS News,
8 Mar. 2026
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About half of China’s oil imports must traverse the strait, and 90% of Iran’s oil supply ends up in China, often via third countries to evade sanctions.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
7 Mar. 2026
Verb
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So forget shady characters, or fake websites.—
Dave Lieber
Mar. 11,
Dallas Morning News,
11 Mar. 2026
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Don’t forget to wash the colander afterward.—
Sandee LaMotte,
CNN Money,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
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During an outing with Kennedy's family at a rowdy pub, the pair snuck away for an impromptu date.—
Staff Author,
InStyle,
7 Mar. 2026
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Peters was convicted of state crimes for sneaking in an outside computer expert to copy images of her county's election computer system before and after state officials updated it in 2021.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
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With Sunday marking the start of a four-game homestand that includes matchups against the Wizards on Tuesday, Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday and Orlando Magic on Saturday, this is an important week for the Heat to take advantage of in its push to escape the NBA’s play-in tournament.—
Anthony Chiang,
Miami Herald,
9 Mar. 2026
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Unlike that unfortunate royal, however, the hoard of coins successfully escaped capture; Anastasia, in reality, did not.—
Maria Mocerino,
Interesting Engineering,
8 Mar. 2026
Verb
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And when Martha slips into costume designer Brenna Maienschein’s form-fitting leopard-print dress, her predatory strategy to seduce Nick as the final flank maneuver against her husband becomes clear.—
Pam Kragen,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
10 Mar. 2026
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The Iniu Portable Charger is especially convenient thanks to its slim, lightweight design that slips easily into a small bag or jacket pocket.—
Rosie Marder,
Travel + Leisure,
10 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shirk.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shirk. Accessed 15 Mar. 2026.
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