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
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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
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
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The match came down to him and Elijah after the latter was able to toss members of The System out of the ring while also avoiding Frankie Kazarian trying to get back into the match following his own elimination.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
15 May 2026
-
That would be a mistake worth avoiding, though.—
Matt Richardson,
CBS News,
14 May 2026
Verb
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The real problem was that the industry had spent too long building products while neglecting the operational systems that make financial infrastructure trustworthy in the first place.—
Amy Guttman,
Forbes.com,
20 May 2026
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However, some argue that neglecting the issue creates an even larger vulnerability.—
Elsa Ohlen,
CNBC,
20 May 2026
Verb
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After about a year at the park and sneaking onto a field with American-style uprights at Kanda University, where some of his friends went to school, Matsuzawa wanted to make his project more serious.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
15 May 2026
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Ignoring her stricken mother’s advice, Lucila decides to go back to Mexico City to mourn with her grandparents (Luisa Huertas and Guillermo Ríos) and other relatives, sneaking the deceased loved one’s ashes into her backpack.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
13 May 2026
Verb
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In the video, the e-bike riders can be seen speeidng, popping wheelies, driving on sidewalks and evading police.—
Fousia Abdullahi,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
19 May 2026
-
After years of evading international efforts to track him down, Kabuga was arrested near Paris in May 2020.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
16 May 2026
Verb
-
Lucy and Elsa have built their lives around men who may have dark sides lurking.—
Georg Szalai,
HollywoodReporter,
13 May 2026
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The Wolves rushed shots in and around the paint all night because Wembanyama was always lurking.—
Jon Krawczynski,
New York Times,
9 May 2026
Verb
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Scenes from this film-within-a-film play out in full, and feature Emma Mackey as a damsel escaping a hungry, humanoid fish creature, while a pair of mad scientists, played by comedy duo Tim Heidecker and Eric Wareheim, attempt to study the ravenous creature.—
Siddhant Adlakha,
IndieWire,
18 May 2026
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The 11-bed unit, opened in 2005, has a dedicated laboratory and HEPA-filtered, negative-pressure rooms that prevent pathogens from escaping into all patient rooms.—
Rebecca Cohen,
NBC news,
17 May 2026
Verb
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The pair will remain visible for a few hours after sunset, before slipping from view below the spring horizon.—
Anthony Wood,
Space.com,
19 May 2026
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Buy now, pay later might sound appealing in part because of the lack of interest, but slipping on a payment schedule can trigger high fees.—
Tristan Bove,
Fortune,
19 May 2026
Verb
-
Whitlock was able to recover and make a sliding catch to end the inning, but Wong did not return and was subbed out for Carlos Narvaez to catch the ninth.—
Mac Cerullo,
Boston Herald,
14 May 2026
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That led to bulkier versions that helped guard against limbs sliding between the cushion and tubes, ending with a final iteration that, much to Axelsson’s pride, some colleagues didn’t realize was filled with air until its inventor asked them to stand up and hoist it above their heads.—
Jack Bantock,
CNN Money,
14 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shirking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shirking. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
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