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
Canadians shunned American products in response to new tariffs.
—
Juliana Kim, NPR, 7 Feb. 2026
The festival is now a central tenet of Candomblé, an Afro-Brazilian religion that was once shunned in favor of Catholicism, but that is now gaining recognition.
—Paige Bruton, semafor.com, 4 Feb. 2026
Some countries are urging a stronger UN America’s adversaries also have shunned the board.
—Edith M. Lederer, Chicago Tribune, 30 Jan. 2026
The film follows a lonely fisherwoman who asks a master basket weaver to build her a husband out of wood, only to become the envy of the village that once shunned her.
—Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 25 Jan. 2026
Her wedding was scheduled to take place six months from then, and Ens wouldn't be allowed to attend the nuptials if she was shunned.
—Zoey Lyttle, PEOPLE, 21 Jan. 2026
The months that followed were harsh and isolating, with the teenager shunned by friends and left out of social events.
—Marc Ramirez, USA Today, 13 Jan. 2026
Wall Street has shunned Venezuela for a long time.
—Sarah Min, CNBC, 7 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
Juliana Kim, NPR, 7 Feb. 2026
The festival is now a central tenet of Candomblé, an Afro-Brazilian religion that was once shunned in favor of Catholicism, but that is now gaining recognition.
—Paige Bruton, semafor.com, 4 Feb. 2026
Some countries are urging a stronger UN America’s adversaries also have shunned the board.
—Edith M. Lederer, Chicago Tribune, 30 Jan. 2026
The film follows a lonely fisherwoman who asks a master basket weaver to build her a husband out of wood, only to become the envy of the village that once shunned her.
—Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 25 Jan. 2026
Her wedding was scheduled to take place six months from then, and Ens wouldn't be allowed to attend the nuptials if she was shunned.
—Zoey Lyttle, PEOPLE, 21 Jan. 2026
The months that followed were harsh and isolating, with the teenager shunned by friends and left out of social events.
—Marc Ramirez, USA Today, 13 Jan. 2026
Wall Street has shunned Venezuela for a long time.
—Sarah Min, CNBC, 7 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shunned
Verb
-
The Mavericks team doctor later confirmed that Davis avoided surgery to repair the damage.—
Chantz Martin,
FOXNews.com,
4 Feb. 2026
-
Chapek had initially avoided wading into the discourse, taking a neutral position that became untenable after Iger drew a line in the sand.—
Allison Morrow,
CNN Money,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Surprisingly, among the more than 1,000 recipes published in the past 25 years of columns and cookbooks, a true, crisp and delicious almond cookie recipe had evaded me until now.—
Philip Potempa,
Chicago Tribune,
6 Feb. 2026
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After the fall of Tripoli, Saif al-Islam Gadhafi evaded capture for several months before being detained in November 2011 by a militia in the western Libyan city of Zintan.—
Nic Robertson,
CNN Money,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
That season’s squad, which had gone to the NIT three straight years, escaped the non-conference schedule with a record of 9-2.—
PJ Green,
Kansas City Star,
5 Feb. 2026
-
The rescue came about after Jordan Turpin — who was 17 at the time — escaped from the home and told authorities about their captivity and abuse.—
Madison E. Goldberg,
PEOPLE,
4 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shunned.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shunned. Accessed 12 Feb. 2026.
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