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
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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
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
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Last night’s premiere marked Hadid’s first major red carpet moment of 2026, having avoided any awards ceremony or glitzy gala so far.—
Anna Cafolla,
Vogue,
15 Jan. 2026
-
Crocker-Johnson avoided early foul trouble and led all scorers with 10 points as Minnesota shot 56% from the field.—
Andy Greder,
Twin Cities,
14 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Tend to Houseplants During the holiday season, with travel and a focus on holiday greenery, houseplants can end up neglected.—
Kristin Hohenadel,
The Spruce,
14 Jan. 2026
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Research into problem gambling is even more neglected.—
Vanity Fair,
Vanity Fair,
12 Jan. 2026
Verb
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After Doherty picked up the award for Best Performance By a Female Actor in a Supporting Role On Television for her role on Adolescence, some of her sailor language sneaked onto the broadcast.—
Peter White,
Deadline,
11 Jan. 2026
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And when nothing was open in the game’s final seconds and his team needed the points, Beck snuck away from the defense and raced into the end zone for the game-winning touchdown.—
Adam Lichtenstein,
Sun Sentinel,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The Ravens would find the endzone once again with nine minutes left in regulation after Lamar Jackson evaded heavy pressure from Pittsburgh's front seven to find Zay Flowers for a 50-yard touchdown pass to reclaim the lead, 17-13.—
Garrett Behanna,
CBS News,
4 Jan. 2026
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Out-of-state businesses that evaded city taxes by hiding city business income.—
Randall Fox,
New York Daily News,
1 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Shackleton began collecting interviews and shot evocative B-roll footage of ghostly California freeways and parking lots where the killer may have once lurked.—
Jill Goldsmith,
Deadline,
21 Nov. 2025
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Darkness and desperation always lurked behind the gonzo decadence, a dynamic that’s missing on the comparatively bright-eyed Stardust.—
Stephen Kearse,
Rolling Stone,
10 Nov. 2025
Verb
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The second employee escaped, but Partida was trapped inside, per the outlet.—
Charna Flam,
PEOPLE,
15 Jan. 2026
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The Los Angeles Rams narrowly escaped defeat against the Carolina Panthers in the wild-card round and are favored on the road against the Chicago Bears.—
Ted Nguyen,
New York Times,
15 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The words Canadian ice-hockey TV series slid into my brain and slipped right back out.—
Faith Hill,
The Atlantic,
13 Jan. 2026
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Tessa Thompson was ready to party and slipped into Balenciaga mules for Netflix’s 2026 Golden Globe after party at Spago on Sunday in Beverly Hills.—
Karla Rodriguez,
Footwear News,
12 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Fleury was shoved to the ice by Golden Knights winger Keegan Kolesar after sending a breakout pass and slid backward into the end boards.—
Jesse Granger,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
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Kelsea Ballerini and Chase Stokes have been romantically linked since 2022, when the country singer slid into his DMs.—
Emily Kelleher,
InStyle,
7 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shirked.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shirked. Accessed 20 Jan. 2026.
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