1
as in avoids
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 neglects
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 lurks
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shirks
Verb
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RoboBallet avoids this trap by learning general coordination rules rather than memorising specific cases.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
4 Sep. 2025 -
The first season of The Office was particularly unpleasant at times, with some of Michael’s most appalling behavior, and The Paper avoids this almost entirely.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
This narrative neglects the systemic nature of discrimination, Black lived experiences, and ongoing activism.—
Time,
Time,
4 Sep. 2025
-
That analogy neglects the great distances and associated challenges of the Asia theatre.—
Arthur I. Cyr,
Chicago Tribune,
2 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Danger lurks next to Campbell, too.—
Andrew Callahan,
Boston Herald,
4 Sep. 2025
-
This, too, is where savagery lurks—in tedious, monotonous tasks.—
Seema Jilani
August 29,
Literary Hub,
29 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Renewed sanctions may not deal much of an economic blow to Iran, especially if China evades them, but can be a potent political tool to stir fears of vulnerability and future military action, a Washington Institute expert argued.—
semafor.com,
semafor.com,
1 Sep. 2025
-
There has been a lot of research into understanding how cancer evades the body’s immune system, and the ways that science might be able to get around that.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
4 Aug. 2025
Verb
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However, on opening night, the music and revelry are cut short when evil sneaks through the door.—
Charlotte Walsh,
People.com,
1 Sep. 2025
-
The set lives inside the top 40 on three sales rankings and narrowly sneaks back onto the downloads roster in a much lower position.—
Hugh McIntyre,
Forbes.com,
28 Aug. 2025
Verb
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That same evening, teen Jules Delaney just barely escapes an attack from a murderer known as the May Day Killer, who wreaks havoc on small towns in the midwest every May 1st.—
Carly Tagen-Dye,
People.com,
25 Aug. 2025
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From October through March, Orient Express Corinthian will offer two to nine-night Caribbean escapes.—
Everett Potter,
Forbes.com,
24 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
In the film above, watch how Johnson draws help on a drive and then slips a pocket pass to a rolling big or drops it off to a player in the dunker spot.—
Joel Rush,
Forbes.com,
2 Sep. 2025
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The cosmos is putting a microscope on the situation, so nothing slips through the cracks!—
Valerie Mesa,
People.com,
2 Sep. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Shirks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shirks. Accessed 8 Sep. 2025.
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