SHIRKING Synonyms: 86 Similar and Opposite Words

shirking

verb

present participle of shirk

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

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

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

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 shirking Hong Kong — China’s top spy agency has come out of the shadows to warn that its young people are being duped by foreign forces into shirking hard work and prioritizing their individual emotions at the expense of national development. —

Sylvie Zhuang, CNN Money, 7 May 2026 Without shirking responsibility, the 52-year-old explained that her judgment had been clouded in part by other circumstances in her life. —

Assistant Editor, Los Angeles Times, 1 Apr. 2026 The book opened a window on the lives of Silicon Valley’s Tech Bro culture, one that valued fierce competition, shirking of government rules and business growth above all else. —

Paul Flahive, Austin American Statesman, 17 Mar. 2026 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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for shirking

Verb

Palencia pitched a scoreless ninth inning in Tuesday’s win and had warmed up twice in Monday night’s victory, so Counsell was avoiding the flamethrower on Wednesday.

— Andy Martinez, Chicago Tribune, 7 May 2026
Our legislators must make some tough decisions; avoiding the issues is not acceptable.

— Lucas Robinson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 May 2026