1
as in avoiding
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 neglecting
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 sneaking
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 shirking
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
Wife Swap explains this as Emily shirking her stay-at-home-mom responsibilities by ending up on a TV show.
—Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 5 Nov. 2025
Her dissent argues that the Court is shirking its duty to clarify constitutional law in capital cases, where individuals’ lives are on the line.
—Mandy Taheri, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Oct. 2025
All that seemed to be undone in an instant when Cristhian Mosquera’s sloppy backpass was followed by Gabriel shirking his defensive responsibilities, allowing Nick Woltemade to head home.
—Art De Roché, New York Times, 29 Sep. 2025
By shirking the Democratic brand, Osborn has a shot at winning his race, as Cockburn points out, and may offer a model for other candidates attempting to dethrone Republicans in rural red states.
—Harpers Magazine, 19 Sep. 2025
Chancellor Jeremy Haefner told The Denver Post that inclusivity remains a core value at DU and vowed the federal government will not strongarm the campus into shirking from that.
—Elizabeth Hernandez, Denver Post, 7 Sep. 2025
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 12 Jan. 2026
Wife Swap explains this as Emily shirking her stay-at-home-mom responsibilities by ending up on a TV show.
—Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 5 Nov. 2025
Her dissent argues that the Court is shirking its duty to clarify constitutional law in capital cases, where individuals’ lives are on the line.
—Mandy Taheri, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Oct. 2025
All that seemed to be undone in an instant when Cristhian Mosquera’s sloppy backpass was followed by Gabriel shirking his defensive responsibilities, allowing Nick Woltemade to head home.
—Art De Roché, New York Times, 29 Sep. 2025
By shirking the Democratic brand, Osborn has a shot at winning his race, as Cockburn points out, and may offer a model for other candidates attempting to dethrone Republicans in rural red states.
—Harpers Magazine, 19 Sep. 2025
Chancellor Jeremy Haefner told The Denver Post that inclusivity remains a core value at DU and vowed the federal government will not strongarm the campus into shirking from that.
—Elizabeth Hernandez, Denver Post, 7 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shirking
Verb
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The battery is reported to retain more than 90 percent of its driving range even at –40 degrees Celsius, avoiding the sharp winter degradation commonly associated with both LFP and nickel-manganese-cobalt batteries.—
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
6 Feb. 2026
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Sokolowski also recommends avoiding misting your refrigerator with water directly—always apply it to a microfiber cloth first.—
Madeline Buiano,
Martha Stewart,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Choosing the wrong pieces, or neglecting them over time, can make your porch look dated.—
Angelika Pokovba,
Martha Stewart,
3 Feb. 2026
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Prioritize your private life without neglecting a professional responsibility under today’s Leo full moon.—
USA TODAY,
USA Today,
1 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The teenager is desperate to debut in Regency-era England, sneaking into society events and eagerly attending etiquette lessons under the watchful eye of her sister Eloise (Claudia Jesse).—
Arushi Jacob,
Variety,
31 Jan. 2026
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That feature has since been covered over with concrete, so don’t get any funny ideas about sneaking into the palace after hours.—
Tori Latham,
Robb Report,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Figueroa pleaded guilty to one count of evading responsibility resulting in a death, court records show.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
3 Feb. 2026
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Gabriel Figueroa, a 26-year-old New Britain man, will serve three years after pleading guilty to evading responsibility resulting in death, local ABC affiliate WTNH reported.—
Joseph Wilkinson,
New York Daily News,
3 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The hackers also stole information about diplomatic issues, lurking undetected in some systems for months.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
5 Feb. 2026
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Federal authorities said the man lurking behind the cyclone fence was Routh.—
Claire Heddles,
Miami Herald,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
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An inmate has been recaptured after escaping from a Tarrant County Sheriff’s Office laundry facility on Tuesday, the second escape from custody this week.—
Lillie Davidson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
3 Feb. 2026
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Though the mass of Jewish migration, escaping Russian pogroms and Nazi Germany in succeeding waves, occurred in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, some arrived before the revolution; but the Constitution, which enshrined religious freedom, granted them legal rights.—
Television Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
3 Feb. 2026
Verb
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With Brent crude falling almost 19% over 2025, and at one point last month, slipping below $60 a barrel for the first time in nearly five years, headline earnings for 2025 are likely to be down by around a fifth on the previous 12 months.—
Ian King,
CNBC,
4 Feb. 2026
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The Kings’ culture is slipping through our fingers with every shortsighted move.—
LeBron Antonio Hill,
Sacbee.com,
3 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The sell-off comes alongside broader market woes, with tech stocks sliding and investors increasingly seeking shelter in old-school safe havens like gold and government bonds.—
Dante Motley,
Austin American Statesman,
5 Feb. 2026
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Dishes from other Olympic host cities Cortina will host women’s Alpine skiing, sliding sports (bobsled, luge and skeleton) and curling during the Games.—
Dallas Morning News,
Dallas Morning News,
5 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shirking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shirking. Accessed 8 Feb. 2026.
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