as in avoided
to get or keep away from (as a responsibility) through cleverness or trickery
just a ruse to shun the debt collectors
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Recent Examples of shunned
Wall Street has shunned Venezuela for a long time.
—
Sarah Min, CNBC, 7 Jan. 2026
His election embodies the ascendance of Muslim Americans in a society that often has shunned them.
—Dan Morrison, USA Today, 1 Jan. 2026
The way the other Sex Pistols have shunned Lydon in recent years is no surprise to anyone who’s kept up with the band.
—Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 30 Dec. 2025
Payakan fought back against the whalers who killed his mother and was shunned by whale and Metkayina society alike.
—Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 18 Dec. 2025
But such inadvertent collaboration with an authoritarian administration can have a devastating impact on civic and opposition groups as they are simultaneously targeted by the government and shunned by erstwhile supporters.
—Steven Levitsky, Foreign Affairs, 11 Dec. 2025
Richard’s path has become commonplace in today’s world of college basketball, where high schoolers are initially shunned by powerhouse programs, then coveted by them after spending time developing in the mid-major circuit.
—Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 27 Nov. 2025
Even though all businesses are legally mandated to accept the ZiG it is still often shunned for transactions by locals.
—Tawanda Karombo, semafor.com, 31 Oct. 2025
The Creature, who remains nameless throughout the novel, develops into a sensitive and inquisitive soul, yet one shunned by the world for his appearance.
—Big Think, 14 Oct. 2025
Sarah Min, CNBC, 7 Jan. 2026
His election embodies the ascendance of Muslim Americans in a society that often has shunned them.
—Dan Morrison, USA Today, 1 Jan. 2026
The way the other Sex Pistols have shunned Lydon in recent years is no surprise to anyone who’s kept up with the band.
—Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 30 Dec. 2025
Payakan fought back against the whalers who killed his mother and was shunned by whale and Metkayina society alike.
—Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 18 Dec. 2025
But such inadvertent collaboration with an authoritarian administration can have a devastating impact on civic and opposition groups as they are simultaneously targeted by the government and shunned by erstwhile supporters.
—Steven Levitsky, Foreign Affairs, 11 Dec. 2025
Richard’s path has become commonplace in today’s world of college basketball, where high schoolers are initially shunned by powerhouse programs, then coveted by them after spending time developing in the mid-major circuit.
—Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 27 Nov. 2025
Even though all businesses are legally mandated to accept the ZiG it is still often shunned for transactions by locals.
—Tawanda Karombo, semafor.com, 31 Oct. 2025
The Creature, who remains nameless throughout the novel, develops into a sensitive and inquisitive soul, yet one shunned by the world for his appearance.
—Big Think, 14 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shunned
Verb
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Last night’s premiere marked Hadid’s first major red carpet moment of 2026, having avoided any awards ceremony or glitzy gala so far.—
Anna Cafolla,
Vogue,
15 Jan. 2026
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Crocker-Johnson avoided early foul trouble and led all scorers with 10 points as Minnesota shot 56% from the field.—
Andy Greder,
Twin Cities,
14 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The Ravens would find the endzone once again with nine minutes left in regulation after Lamar Jackson evaded heavy pressure from Pittsburgh's front seven to find Zay Flowers for a 50-yard touchdown pass to reclaim the lead, 17-13.—
Garrett Behanna,
CBS News,
4 Jan. 2026
-
Out-of-state businesses that evaded city taxes by hiding city business income.—
Randall Fox,
New York Daily News,
1 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The second employee escaped, but Partida was trapped inside, per the outlet.—
Charna Flam,
PEOPLE,
15 Jan. 2026
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The Los Angeles Rams narrowly escaped defeat against the Carolina Panthers in the wild-card round and are favored on the road against the Chicago Bears.—
Ted Nguyen,
New York Times,
15 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shunned.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shunned. Accessed 17 Jan. 2026.
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