avoids

verb

present tense third-person singular of avoid
1
as in evades
to get or keep away from (as a responsibility) through cleverness or trickery trying to avoid writing thank-you notes for the gifts he didn't like

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in abolishes
to put an end to by formal action asked the court to avoid the contract because it was signed under duress

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of avoids The outdoors become additional living space Lazime’s team also avoids installing air-conditioning whenever possible—instead, this home relies on ceiling fans in the warmer months. — Annabelle Dufraigne, Architectural Digest, 1 Sep. 2026 Aggregators typically disclose this information in their search filters, and knowing it in advance avoids confusion on arrival. — Matthew Kayser, USA Today, 31 Aug. 2026 This design avoids the extreme heat problems that damaged earlier plasma separators. — Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 28 Aug. 2026 Washington avoids Michigan and Ohio State this year and will play Penn State and Indiana at home. — Austin Perry Outkick, FOXNews.com, 28 Aug. 2026 For relief, Ixim keeps her skincare routine simple, avoids fragrances and harsh ingredients, takes olive oil baths and swears by Neutrogena T/Gel. — Grace Gavilanes, PEOPLE, 24 Aug. 2026 For the record, my hunch is Notre Dame avoids the flat-tire game that’s dogged Freeman. — Pete Sampson, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2026 To ensure a net gain, our agency completely avoids cliché prompts and invests significant time in sharpening them with firsthand data, raw outlines and strict audience constraints. — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 20 Aug. 2026 Studies show that even being attentive to word choice can help ensure effective care for patients that avoids victim blaming. — Michele Patterson Ford, The Conversation, 19 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for avoids
  1. evades
  2. abolishes
  3. escapes
  4. cancels
  5. prevents
  6. repeals
  7. eliminates
  8. dodges
Verb
  • Journalists and negotiators follow up when someone evades the point.
    — Harvard Business Review, Harvard Business Review, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Johnson has previously stated the Illinois constitution’s flat income tax rate evades the city’s wealth gap.
    — Claire Murphy, Chicago Tribune, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of evades
Verb
  • The Schengen Area is an agreement between 29 European countries that abolishes passport controls and allows people to travel across European borders without providing documents.
    — Robert McGreevy, FOXNews.com, 1 Aug. 2026
  • Attorney Monica Restanio, whose arguments in court for the Venezuelan family were responsible for winning the ruling that abolishes the minor issue, said she was thrilled.
    — Julia Buckley, CNN Money, 29 July 2026
Definition of abolishes
Verb
  • But as Marty Supreme proved last year, debuting after the rest of the competition can also feel a bit like being the lone straggler in a bike race who escapes the cascading crash that takes out everyone else.
    — Nate Jones, Vulture, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Jordan, who escapes relatively unscathed, is at once cowed and traumatized yet committed to vengeance.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of escapes
Verb
  • Tennis has always been highly dependent on the weather; unlike in soccer or football, rain cancels or delays a match until the court is dry enough to be playable.
    — Aaron Short, Curbed, 3 Sep. 2026
  • When investors redeem shares, the fund cancels those shares and pays investors their value based on NAV.
    — byDoug Ashburn, Encyclopedia Britannica, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of cancels
Verb
  • The federal agency is asking the court to order financial compensation for the former employee and to ensure the company prevents future discrimination.
    — Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 31 Aug. 2026
  • This balance prevents the charge pile-up that normally creates a dangerous electric-field spike when the transistor turns off.
    — Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of prevents
Verb
  • The law also repeals the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act’s senior manager provisions.
    — Nana Ama Sarfo, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2026
  • The measure repeals provisions in Finland’s 1987 Nuclear Energy Act that banned the import, production, possession and detonation of nuclear explosives.
    — Bonny Chu, FOXNews.com, 18 June 2026
Definition of repeals
Verb
  • Assembly Bill 2494 eliminates what’s often cast as a logging mandate, instead prioritizing values such as carbon storage, wildfire resilience and biodiversity conservation.
    — Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Faux greenery eliminates plant-toxin concerns, but loose pieces can still become choking hazards or cause an intestinal blockage if swallowed.
    — Lauren Paige Richeson, USA Today, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of eliminates
Verb
  • West Orange dodges a huge bullet as Hoban’s John Johnson drops a wide open pass that would’ve been an 80 yard touchdown.
    — Buddy Collings, The Orlando Sentinel, 20 Aug. 2026
  • The movie sees that trap coming and dodges it by the skin of its teeth.
    — Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of dodges

Browse Nearby Words

avoiding
avoids
avoirdupois
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Cite this Entry

“Avoids.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/avoids. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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