1
as in avoiding
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 neglecting
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 sneaking
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shirking
Verb
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Which only underscores the importance of drafting well and avoiding the need to fill holes through free agency.—
Sam McDowell,
Kansas City Star,
14 Mar. 2025 -
Not all Republicans are avoiding town halls.—
Lauren Green,
Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government,
14 Mar. 2025
Verb
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The two properties tell a story of how Black communities are invested in and what is the best way to go about it without displacing or neglecting residents.—
Raisa Habersham,
Miami Herald,
10 Apr. 2025
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Being revved up for a slot means that DJs and producers are putting up barriers and neglecting their mental health.—
Thomas Smith,
Billboard,
9 Apr. 2025
Verb
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The driver was arrested on charges of unlawful gun possession and evading police and booked at the Sacramento County Juvenile Hall.—
Rosalio Ahumada,
Sacbee.com,
7 Apr. 2025
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Chau paid local fishermen to take him near North Sentinel Island, evading the exclusion zone.—
Newsweek Staff,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Apr. 2025
Verb
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This isn't enough to completely rule out the possibility of any more small planets that might be lurking in the habitable zone.—
Keith Cooper,
Space.com,
15 Mar. 2025
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More than a few crumbs could be lurking in the darkest, deepest recesses of your pantry.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
15 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Williams was taken to Blount County Detention Facility, in Maryville, Tennessee, and prosecutors brought an additional charge against him for escaping federal custody.—
Ronan Farrow,
The New Yorker,
24 Mar. 2025
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Reading can be a powerful way of escaping, relaxing and learning more about ourselves.—
Daniel Wine,
CNN,
24 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Harrison took Georgia’s second-half kickoff all the way to the end zone, slipping a tackle near the middle of the field, cutting toward the right sideline and outrunning everyone.—
Brett Martel,
The Denver Post,
2 Jan. 2025
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By 1980, amid double-digit inflation, spiraling gas prices, and Ayatollah Khomeini’s revolution in Iran, the United States was slipping into another recession.—
Eric Berger,
Ars Technica,
30 Dec. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Shirking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shirking. Accessed 24 Apr. 2025.
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