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
Azcona, 47, said those who visit her botanica for blessings and spiritual cleansings have felt shunned in traditional religious settings, either because of their sexuality, tattoos or other factors.
—
Marc Ramirez, USA Today, 7 June 2026
Consumer staples, healthcare — The sectors were bright spots in Friday’s sell-off as investors shunned tech names for defensive corners of the market.
—Davis Giangiulio, CNBC, 5 June 2026
Although Eli could have divorced his wife, he would have been shunned by the Amish community.
—Alex Gurley, PEOPLE, 2 June 2026
He was shunned by his homeland and called a traitor.
—Tim Spiers, New York Times, 1 June 2026
Everyone thinks that the family has, like, shunned him and won't have anything to do with him, but that's not actually the case.
—Patrick Gomez, Entertainment Weekly, 31 May 2026
Lukashenko has few geopolitical friends left in Europe aside from Putin, largely shunned by his neighbors over his rights record and actions on Ukraine.
—Yuliya Talmazan, NBC news, 30 May 2026
Located on the South Island of New Zealand, the Gloriavale Christian Community was founded in 1969 by a traveling preacher with extremely fundamentalist ideas; women are subservient to men, all citizens wear uniforms, and people who leave are shunned forever.
—K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 29 May 2026
Hijras are regarded within Hindu society with a degree of ambivalence—they are often feared and shunned while also considered to possess religious power to confer fertility on newborns and newlyweds in ritual contexts.
—Charles Preston, Encyclopedia Britannica, 28 May 2026
Marc Ramirez, USA Today, 7 June 2026
Consumer staples, healthcare — The sectors were bright spots in Friday’s sell-off as investors shunned tech names for defensive corners of the market.
—Davis Giangiulio, CNBC, 5 June 2026
Although Eli could have divorced his wife, he would have been shunned by the Amish community.
—Alex Gurley, PEOPLE, 2 June 2026
He was shunned by his homeland and called a traitor.
—Tim Spiers, New York Times, 1 June 2026
Everyone thinks that the family has, like, shunned him and won't have anything to do with him, but that's not actually the case.
—Patrick Gomez, Entertainment Weekly, 31 May 2026
Lukashenko has few geopolitical friends left in Europe aside from Putin, largely shunned by his neighbors over his rights record and actions on Ukraine.
—Yuliya Talmazan, NBC news, 30 May 2026
Located on the South Island of New Zealand, the Gloriavale Christian Community was founded in 1969 by a traveling preacher with extremely fundamentalist ideas; women are subservient to men, all citizens wear uniforms, and people who leave are shunned forever.
—K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 29 May 2026
Hijras are regarded within Hindu society with a degree of ambivalence—they are often feared and shunned while also considered to possess religious power to confer fertility on newborns and newlyweds in ritual contexts.
—Charles Preston, Encyclopedia Britannica, 28 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shunned
Verb
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San Antonio Spurs superstar Victor Wembanyama avoided adding a third flagrant point to his postseason total.—
Chantz Martin,
FOXNews.com,
11 June 2026
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While the city avoided laying off a number of its already lean staff — which neighbors like San Francisco have had to reckon with — the city’s financial troubles are far from over.—
Ryan Macasero,
Mercury News,
10 June 2026
Verb
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Johnson evaded questions Friday afternoon from reporters who tried to talk to him about the Bears situation at an event at the Chicago Cultural Center honoring the city’s Puerto Rican community.—
Robert McCoppin,
Chicago Tribune,
5 June 2026
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Earlier this month, Swift's long-time collaborator and friend Jack Antonoff carefully evaded questions about his attendance.—
Meg Walters,
InStyle,
3 June 2026
Verb
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Junior Grace Simmons escaped an early jam to set the tone for a low-scoring complete game from the circle, and Aniyah Bailey had a birthday to remember by anchoring the team’s contagious offensive showing with two doubles and five RBI in a 3-for-4 day.—
Tom Mulherin,
Boston Herald,
11 June 2026
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In 2025, Mycoworks shuttered its South Carolina biomanufacturing plant, announcing a pivot to processing cheaper third-party mycelium instead of cultivating it themselves, and Natural Fiber Welding narrowly escaped bankruptcy, adding to the sense of an ending.—
Bella Webb,
Vogue,
11 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shunned.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shunned. Accessed 13 Jun. 2026.
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