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
Where Welch embraced the spotlight, Chouinard shunned attention.
—
Kyle Westaway, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025
Record attack drone launches are designed to overwhelm Kyiv’s defenses, and the deaths of children in the city (another infant was killed in an apartment building alongside her mother Sunday) are the one thing Trump seems to feel acutely – bar being complimented or shunned by Putin.
—Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 8 Sep. 2025
Once shunned by investors who were drawn to an environmental, social and governance lens, defense assets have surged in popularity in light of geopolitical turmoil and pledges by Germany and other European Union members to ramp up defense spending.
—Hayley Cuccinello, CNBC, 4 Sep. 2025
The leaders of North Korea, China and Russia met in a show of solidarity by nations shunned by the West over their role in Russia’s war against Ukraine, Europe’s worst conflict in 80 years.
—Nicole Fallert, USA Today, 4 Sep. 2025
The Migos rapper shunned the idea of ever getting married again following his split from Cardi B last year.
—Michael Saponara, Billboard, 27 Aug. 2025
San Marcos coach Tom Carroll shunned a tying kick, going for a go-ahead 2-point PAT.
—John Maffei, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Aug. 2025
But the people of Ne Zha’s hometown, Chentang Pass, shunned him out of fear of his demonic origins.
—Jennifer Zhan, Vulture, 22 Aug. 2025
Not getting into the school would've been akin to being shunned from home.
—Alex J. Rouhandeh, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Aug. 2025
Kyle Westaway, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025
Record attack drone launches are designed to overwhelm Kyiv’s defenses, and the deaths of children in the city (another infant was killed in an apartment building alongside her mother Sunday) are the one thing Trump seems to feel acutely – bar being complimented or shunned by Putin.
—Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 8 Sep. 2025
Once shunned by investors who were drawn to an environmental, social and governance lens, defense assets have surged in popularity in light of geopolitical turmoil and pledges by Germany and other European Union members to ramp up defense spending.
—Hayley Cuccinello, CNBC, 4 Sep. 2025
The leaders of North Korea, China and Russia met in a show of solidarity by nations shunned by the West over their role in Russia’s war against Ukraine, Europe’s worst conflict in 80 years.
—Nicole Fallert, USA Today, 4 Sep. 2025
The Migos rapper shunned the idea of ever getting married again following his split from Cardi B last year.
—Michael Saponara, Billboard, 27 Aug. 2025
San Marcos coach Tom Carroll shunned a tying kick, going for a go-ahead 2-point PAT.
—John Maffei, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Aug. 2025
But the people of Ne Zha’s hometown, Chentang Pass, shunned him out of fear of his demonic origins.
—Jennifer Zhan, Vulture, 22 Aug. 2025
Not getting into the school would've been akin to being shunned from home.
—Alex J. Rouhandeh, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shunned
Verb
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Notably, Miami midfielder Sergio Busquets avoided punishment after appearing to strike Vargas on the chin during the post-match melee.—
Ben Church,
CNN Money,
9 Sep. 2025
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During his March 2023 visit to Mariupol, Putin had avoided the theater.—
Yegor Mostovshikov,
The Dial,
9 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Large swaths of eastern Colorado have evaded the drought plaguing most of the state west of 25.—
John Meyer,
Denver Post,
10 Sep. 2025
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Weaponized stubbornness Scoring is a straightforward concept, but success in this realm evaded Florida Saturday night.—
Noah White,
Miami Herald,
7 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Two 12-year-old girls escaped the fire.—
Angel Saunders,
PEOPLE,
5 Sep. 2025
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Families escaped to calm waters for canoeing, hiking, and long afternoons spent idling on the shore.—
Evie Carrick,
Travel + Leisure,
4 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Shunned.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shunned. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.
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