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
Relevance
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
The three central male characters — Mike, Lou, and Orman — all converge on the archetype of the lone wolf, a dubious label the collaboration-shirking Lou has taken on in his precinct, and one his colleagues are decidedly over.
—
Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 11 Feb. 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
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
Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 11 Feb. 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
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
-
According to Ruby, seven of the 20 or so churches in G92, a Christian immigrant advocacy coalition in the city, are ready to offer physical sanctuary, though many are avoiding publicity for fear of harassment.—
Caitlin Hu,
CNN Money,
20 Feb. 2026
-
To do so, Nguyen advises maintaining proper form, controlling the weight through the full range of motion and avoiding any movement that causes sudden pain.—
Daryl Austin,
USA Today,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Don’t let anyone pressure you into neglecting either half of your life.—
Tarot.com,
Sun Sentinel,
5 Feb. 2026
-
Choosing the wrong pieces, or neglecting them over time, can make your porch look dated.—
Angelika Pokovba,
Martha Stewart,
3 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The collection is made for sharing or sneaking a few self-love treats for yourself.—
Doris Alvarez Cea,
Florida Times-Union,
10 Feb. 2026
-
The squirrel even escaped its first capture, sneaking out from under the garment that was thrown on top of it.—
Julia Gomez,
USA Today,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Folktales are filled with people fighting to survive in forests, steppes, and deserts, and evading and outwitting the wild beasts that dwell within them.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 Feb. 2026
-
Meanwhile, Bottega Veneta’s perfume holder makes sure your travel-sized scent never ever rolls around at the bottom of your bag, evading your grip hand again.—
Conçetta Ciarlo,
Vogue,
14 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
My mind is always at my front door—the thin barrier between safety and the terror lurking outside.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
19 Feb. 2026
-
The project takes place deep in the desolate wilderness where a crumbling castle stands with a mysterious presence lurking within.—
Karla Rodriguez,
Footwear News,
18 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
But a previous owner of the injection well noted in a report to the state that the well was missing a layer of cement that would help prevent the wastewater from escaping at shallow depths, where most drinking water sources exist, Plummer wrote in an email to oil division colleagues.—
Nick Bowlin,
The Frontier,
16 Feb. 2026
-
So much for escaping the bubble.—
The Editors,
Outside,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Beer that turned green − possibly a chemical reaction with the drugs Dominque Pelicot had been slipping into her drinks and food to render her unconscious for the rapes.—
Kathryn Palmer,
USA Today,
18 Feb. 2026
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There is no feeling quite like slipping into a bed made up with brand-new sheets.—
Melissa Locker,
Southern Living,
16 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Tire tread depth - Checking your tire tread before hitting the road is important, as low or no tread can lead to sliding.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
20 Feb. 2026
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Kids pulled in on sleds by their parents are yelping in glee, slipping and sliding around jaws of ice.—
Stephanie Pearson,
Outside,
19 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shirking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shirking. Accessed 21 Feb. 2026.
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