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
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 shirked
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
Ella Lee, The Hill, 27 June 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shirked
Verb
-
The Boston Red Sox have avoided arbitration with outfielder Jarren Duran this offseason, agreeing to terms on a new contract.—
Shaun McAvoy,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 Nov. 2025
-
While administration officials have avoided overtly saying their goal is regime change — Trump has focused his public remarks on fighting drug cartels — the ultimate goal of democratizing Venezuela, and the resulting investment benefits, are front and center in investors’ minds.—
Shelby Talcott,
semafor.com,
4 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Now, the department's union is joining calls for more funding, saying the city has neglected for years to fund repairs and maintenace.—
David Clarey,
jsonline.com,
21 Oct. 2025
-
The Wisconsin native was charged with repairing bridges within the department, campus and community that Addazio had neglected or damaged.—
Sean Keeler,
Denver Post,
19 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
On the other hand, 14 different teams — including one who barely snuck into the preseason top-25 — received at least one Final Four nod.—
The Athletic College Basketball Staff,
New York Times,
3 Nov. 2025
-
Then the third-year tailback snuck to the right and made the wide open grab in the flat.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
30 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
But this freedom evaded Russia because the Soviet system was never fully dismantled.—
Kathleen Collins,
Twin Cities,
26 Oct. 2025
-
Data from the agency estimates that 33% of bus riders evaded paying fares in 2025.—
Claudia Levens,
jsonline.com,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The terrain was steep and mountainous, the forests were thick, and threats from buffalo and leopards lurked in the wilderness.—
Julia Jacobo,
ABC News,
1 Oct. 2025
-
Was Blass’s mental block a sign of what lurked on the other side of these quotidian failures?—
Jonathan Blitzer,
New Yorker,
28 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Then Tottenham, another of this season’s strongest starters, escaped with a win at Elland Road when the hosts deserved at least a draw, if not more.—
Chris Weatherspoon,
New York Times,
31 Oct. 2025
-
Under the pretense of going to the bathroom, Dunne escaped out the window and took off in her car, which Sweeney jumped the hood of.—
Rebecca Aizin,
PEOPLE,
30 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Things took a comic turn as the Unitree G1 slipped while walking over food bits.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
3 Nov. 2025
-
They can be slipped on hoop earrings and two different types of chains.—
Lily Templeton,
Footwear News,
3 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
The power management company slid 4% on lackluster third-quarter results .—
Michelle Fox,
CNBC,
4 Nov. 2025
-
Lucas Paqueta equalised, Sven Botman slid the ball into his own net and then Tomas Soucek gilded the scoreline at the death and, through all of it, Newcastle were powerless.—
George Caulkin,
New York Times,
3 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Shirked.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shirked. Accessed 5 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share