1
as in avoided
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 neglected
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 sneaked
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 shirked
There is no question about his attitude or application; this is not a case of a player who has shirked responsibility or failed to work hard enough in training or in matches.
—
Matt Woosnam, New York Times, 21 Apr. 2026
Rudnev shirked money, power, and influence, of any kind.
—William Jones, USA Today, 20 Feb. 2026
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
In the court’s majority opinion, Justice Amy Coney Barrett forcefully pushed back against Jackson’s suggestion the court shirked on its duty to protect the people from government overreach.
—Ella Lee, The Hill, 27 June 2025
Matt Woosnam, New York Times, 21 Apr. 2026
Rudnev shirked money, power, and influence, of any kind.
—William Jones, USA Today, 20 Feb. 2026
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
In the court’s majority opinion, Justice Amy Coney Barrett forcefully pushed back against Jackson’s suggestion the court shirked on its duty to protect the people from government overreach.
—Ella Lee, The Hill, 27 June 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shirked
Verb
-
Given the importance of preserving relations with the FCC, which has a say over a range of local station matters and must approve any mergers involving the transfer of broadcast licenses, LeGeyt has deliberately avoided a direct clash with his Washington counterpart.—
Dade Hayes,
Deadline,
29 Apr. 2026
-
In Ukraine, Harry stepped into territory traditionally avoided by the royals.—
Simon Perry,
PEOPLE,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Abused, neglected, abandoned pigs At Willeyville Farm, Houk and, Jones-Willey and other volunteers were recently caring for about 40 pigs, with the goal of finding them adoptive homes.—
Eric Adler
April 26,
Kansas City Star,
26 Apr. 2026
-
They will also be checked by a veterinarian to ensure that they have not been neglected, Lynch said.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
During intermission, Petra snuck upstairs to the backstage area and played with crafts alongside the young performers.—
Tribune News Service,
Baltimore Sun,
30 Apr. 2026
-
The 76ers snuck into the playoffs after having some struggles all season.—
David Troy OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
While testing the model, Anthropic discovered decades-old software flaws and bugs that had evaded millions of previous attempts.—
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld,
Fortune,
2 May 2026
-
After Noah Cates won the faceoff back to Cam York, York moved the puck to Michkov, who evaded Penguins center Ben Kindel and sent the puck back to York for the series-winner.—
Shayna Goldman,
New York Times,
1 May 2026
Verb
-
But within the house, violence lurked like flammable gas.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
24 Apr. 2026
-
The short answer is that a wide gulf exists between rumor and fact and Swalwell lurked in that gray space, living and thriving in the shadows between provability and denial.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Nearly a year after 10 inmates escaped a New Orleans jail through a hole in the wall, a special grand jury has indicted the local sheriff on criminal corruption and obstruction charges in connection with the biggest jailbreak in recent American history.—
Greg Hilburn,
USA Today,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Authorities said the 10 inmates escaped from the Orleans Justice Center in the early morning hours after climbing through a hole behind a toilet.—
Meredith Deliso,
ABC News,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The biotechnology stock slipped almost 2% after the company only slightly increased its full year forecast.—
Davis Giangiulio,Lisa Kailai Han,
CNBC,
1 May 2026
-
Mission slipped into 2025 because ULA needed more Vulcan rocket hardware beyond Cert-2 and the two USSF missions that took priority over the Dream Chaser flight.—
Richard Tribou,
The Orlando Sentinel,
1 May 2026
Verb
-
Soon the waiter arrived, flicked a button on a remote control, and what had appeared to be a fancy mirror on the wall behind Lynch slid down and morphed into an enormous screen.—
Michael Silver,
New York Times,
30 Apr. 2026
-
However, Witt slid in ahead of the incoming tag.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
30 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shirked.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shirked. Accessed 6 May. 2026.
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