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
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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
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Recent Examples of shirks
Nick, desperate to return to the present, shirks the doting parents and brother who long to comfort him.
—
Sam Bodrojan, IndieWire, 7 Sep. 2025
Sam Bodrojan, IndieWire, 7 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shirks
Verb
-
Early prototypes shown at CES were assembled rapidly for demonstration, but Lumus says the underlying architecture avoids exotic materials.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
9 Jan. 2026
-
Jérôme Sans, the exhibition’s curator, positioned the Cookie Factory as a site that deliberately avoids cultural isolation.—
Okla Jones,
Essence,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
What a leader neglects in the dark will inevitably be revealed in the light, often at staggering costs.—
Julian Hayes II,
Forbes.com,
8 Sep. 2025
-
This narrative neglects the systemic nature of discrimination, Black lived experiences, and ongoing activism.—
Time,
Time,
4 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
But beneath this viral joke among African Americans lurks a hidden history of slavery, voodoo, and rebellion.—
Essence,
Essence,
29 Oct. 2025
-
Meanwhile, a manipulative judge, Roland Brack (Nicholas Pinnock), lurks around the fringes, hoping to seduce or even blackmail the electrically attractive Hedda.—
Stephanie Zacharek,
Time,
22 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Experts who spoke to Flow Space are hopeful that these new approvals will provide the necessary tools to treat a disease that evades treatment by constantly mutating.—
Helen Carefoot,
Flow Space,
16 Dec. 2025
-
In the film, Sea-Based X-Band Radar detects a missile flying across the Pacific Ocean toward Chicago that later evades interception.—
Ryan Chan,
MSNBC Newsweek,
26 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
With a new alias, Andrew Birch, Pine sneaks around Roper’s Majorca compound and relays key documents to Burr, all while keeping an indiscriminate profile.—
Jake Kring-Schreifels,
Time,
9 Jan. 2026
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Now, with nowhere else to turn, Mauser sneaks in uninvited to a swanky party in Rockwell's home and begs for his support in front of his wealthy friends.—
Mike Miller,
Entertainment Weekly,
25 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
Instead, book a few three- to four-day escapes that align with school and office closures.—
Zach Wichter,
Freep.com,
6 Jan. 2026
-
Known for its Gilded Age mansions, deep maritime roots, and rugged Atlantic shoreline, Newport has long been one of New England’s signature coastal escapes.—
Lauren Dana Ellman,
Travel + Leisure,
5 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Yet real sovereignty slips further away.—
Rick Singh,
The Orlando Sentinel,
8 Jan. 2026
-
Gwath slips the screen and positions himself for a lob from Byrd.—
Mark Zeigler,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Anne slinks off with her husband.—
Keith Phipps,
Vulture,
25 Sep. 2025
-
Route 128 slinks through the folds of Anderson Valley like a slow river, past vineyards clinging to hillsides and orchards heavy with apple blossoms come spring.—
Lauren Mowery,
Forbes.com,
8 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Shirks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shirks. Accessed 10 Jan. 2026.
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