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
Only one person in the area hasn’t shunned her, and that’s the local bar owner Ledger Ward, who becomes an important part of Kenna’s life.
—
Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 18 Dec. 2024
Nuclear power is experiencing a resurgence after decades of being shunned.
—Emma Withrow, Baltimore Sun, 18 Dec. 2024
When challenged publicly, critics are belittled and shunned.
—Raja Krishnamoorthi, Newsweek, 16 Dec. 2024
In new research from its Investment Institute, BlackRock analysts recommend that bitcoin, long shunned by mainstream investors, should now account for 1% to 2% of such portfolios.
—Danielle Chemtob, Forbes, 13 Dec. 2024
All except three ruling party lawmakers shunned the impeachment vote last Saturday by refusing to vote, but the upcoming vote is expected to be a close call.
—Joohee Cho, ABC News, 12 Dec. 2024
Our villains are growing more theatrical while our heroes are shunned.
—Christian Schneider, National Review, 12 Dec. 2024
Having lost its mother during a traumatic birth, the cow Lucy had to be bottle-fed and was shunned by the herd.
—R. Daniel Foster, Forbes, 11 Dec. 2024
Once shunned at the G20 summit in 2014 after his annexation of the Black Sea peninsula of Crimea from Ukraine and his stoking of separatism in Ukraine’s Donbas region, Putin was the man to speak to a year later.
—Nathan Hodge, CNN, 9 Dec. 2024
Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 18 Dec. 2024
Nuclear power is experiencing a resurgence after decades of being shunned.
—Emma Withrow, Baltimore Sun, 18 Dec. 2024
When challenged publicly, critics are belittled and shunned.
—Raja Krishnamoorthi, Newsweek, 16 Dec. 2024
In new research from its Investment Institute, BlackRock analysts recommend that bitcoin, long shunned by mainstream investors, should now account for 1% to 2% of such portfolios.
—Danielle Chemtob, Forbes, 13 Dec. 2024
All except three ruling party lawmakers shunned the impeachment vote last Saturday by refusing to vote, but the upcoming vote is expected to be a close call.
—Joohee Cho, ABC News, 12 Dec. 2024
Our villains are growing more theatrical while our heroes are shunned.
—Christian Schneider, National Review, 12 Dec. 2024
Having lost its mother during a traumatic birth, the cow Lucy had to be bottle-fed and was shunned by the herd.
—R. Daniel Foster, Forbes, 11 Dec. 2024
Once shunned at the G20 summit in 2014 after his annexation of the Black Sea peninsula of Crimea from Ukraine and his stoking of separatism in Ukraine’s Donbas region, Putin was the man to speak to a year later.
—Nathan Hodge, CNN, 9 Dec. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shunned
Verb
-
At best, this results in superficial engagement—teams may appear aligned on the surface but lack genuine buy-in as difficult conversations are avoided.—
Vibhas Ratanjee,
Forbes,
25 Mar. 2025
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And who has avoided injuries while the rest of the squad have struggled?—
Jacob Tanswell,
The Athletic,
25 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
But in life James resisted metaphor and evaded attention.—
Yiyun Li,
The New Yorker,
23 Mar. 2025
-
DeAngelo evaded prosecution for years while committing a string of murders and rapes across the Golden State between 1974 and 1986, including two murders and nine kidnappings in Sacramento County alone.—
Lia Russell,
Sacramento Bee,
22 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
India escaped the scary moment unscathed.—
Jaylon Thompson,
Kansas City Star,
13 Apr. 2025
-
Anderson, who retired his first 10 batters, walked the bases loaded with one out in the fourth, but escaped the jam by striking out Jeremy Peña and getting Diaz to line out.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
13 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Shunned.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shunned. Accessed 5 May. 2025.
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