1
as in to avoid
to get or keep away from (as a responsibility) through cleverness or trickery
you always try to shirk paying your fair share of the bill by claiming you "forgot" your wallet
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to neglect
to leave undone or unattended to especially through carelessness
a deadbeat who has been shirking his duty to his family for years
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to lurk
to move about in a sly or secret manner
given the multitude of auditoriums at the multiplex, it's not too difficult for underaged kids to shirk into R-rated movies
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of shirk
Today the site is a museum and rum distillery that doesn’t shirk from its past.
—
Patrick Scott, New York Times, 16 Jan. 2025
In others, municipalities shirked their legal requirement to share permit data with Kaegi’s office or shared it in a format that required time-consuming cleanup.
—A.d. Quig, Chicago Tribune, 16 Mar. 2025
Here are some of the most notable categories: Foreign policy
Trump's foreign policy approach in his early days in office centered around tariff threats, shirking international agreements and bringing much foreign aid to a halt.
—Avery Lotz, Axios, 11 Feb. 2025
Meanwhile, lawsuits filed by people living in Kushner buildings have exposed how the company operated, often by shirking on maintenance in order to force out tenants.
—Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 22 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shirk
Patrick Scott, New York Times, 16 Jan. 2025
In others, municipalities shirked their legal requirement to share permit data with Kaegi’s office or shared it in a format that required time-consuming cleanup.
—A.d. Quig, Chicago Tribune, 16 Mar. 2025
Here are some of the most notable categories: Foreign policy
Trump's foreign policy approach in his early days in office centered around tariff threats, shirking international agreements and bringing much foreign aid to a halt.
—Avery Lotz, Axios, 11 Feb. 2025
Meanwhile, lawsuits filed by people living in Kushner buildings have exposed how the company operated, often by shirking on maintenance in order to force out tenants.
—Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 22 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shirk
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shirk
Verb
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Houston threw numbers behind the ball for most of the game to avoid getting hit by the deadly counterattacks and transitions KC has been known for.—
Daniel Sperry,
Kansas City Star,
20 Apr. 2025
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Get to an interior room on the lowest floor of a sturdy building and avoid windows.—
STAR-TELEGRAM WEATHER BOT,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
20 Apr. 2025
Verb
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When investing in new technology to enhance the CX, companies often forget or neglect to upgrade employee-facing systems, which can send a negative message to the workplace.—
Shep Hyken,
Forbes.com,
20 Apr. 2025
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No position on the Yankees has been more neglected than third base.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Apr. 2025
Verb
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In the rocky and sandy terrain of the Arabian peninsula, a dangerous creature lurks just below the surface in a burrow.—
Irene Wright,
Miami Herald,
18 Apr. 2025
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The Furry Detectives: Unmasking A Monster, The Furry Detectives: Unmasking A Monster, a four-part documentary, unpacks a horrifying conspiracy of animal abuse lurking beneath the Furry Fandom’s playful exterior.—
Jill Goldsmith,
Deadline,
17 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Security scrutinized: Suspect eluded officers protecting Shapiro Balmer started fires while troopers searched Troopers were able to safely evacuate Shapiro's family and others in the mansion, but the fire raises the question of how Balmer was able to evade security.—
John Bacon,
USA Today,
16 Apr. 2025
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Most of these are fine goals, and some (such as finally terminating the university’s efforts to evade a Supreme Court–ordered end to its use of race discrimination in admissions) ought to be uncontroversial.—
The Editors,
National Review,
16 Apr. 2025
Verb
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But do not forget to order the beloved DK bacon maple bar.—
Michael Deeds,
Idaho Statesman,
17 Apr. 2025
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Performances from more than 40 artists, including headliners Post Malone, Stevie Nicks and Noah Kahan, along with a variety of food and retail vendors made, for an exciting weekend guests won’t soon forget.—
Evan Moore,
Charlotte Observer,
16 Apr. 2025
Verb
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How did Passover and Easter sneak up on us so fast?—
Gretta Monahan,
Boston Herald,
6 Apr. 2025
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But a better travel pillow does all that and sneaks an extra day’s worth of clothing onto the plane without catching a gate agent’s attention.—
Olivia Young,
Travel + Leisure,
6 Apr. 2025
Verb
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If unable to escape, face the shore and call or wave for help.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
15 Apr. 2025
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Ray reportedly pushed the Uber driver to the ground, and the pair escaped.—
Julia Bonavita,
FOXNews.com,
14 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Parham, a former Methodist married to a woman from a Quaker family, had come to Kansas from Iowa, after touring holiness camps and talking with global missionaries, some of whom told him about seeing recent converts slip into trances and speak in tongues.—
Casey Cep,
New Yorker,
14 Apr. 2025
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The JLab Go Air Sport earbuds pound with bass and never slip mid-workout.—
Shubham Yewale,
PC Magazine,
14 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Shirk.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shirk. Accessed 24 Apr. 2025.
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