DUCKING Synonyms: 98 Similar and Opposite Words

ducking 1 of 2

noun

as in escape

the act or a means of getting or keeping away from something undesirable the disgraceful ducking of your duties to your family

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

ducking

2 of 2

verb

present participle of duck

as in avoiding

to get or keep away from (as a responsibility) through cleverness or trickery don't try to duck your commitment to spending Thanksgiving with your family by claiming you have to work

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in weaving

to move suddenly aside or to and fro duck behind a pillar before they see us

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in dipping

to sink or push (something) briefly into or as if into a liquid ducked the new camper in the lake as a joke

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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 ducking

Noun

Body-camera video released after the July 6, 2024, shooting showed Massey ducking and apologizing moments before Grayson fired three shots inside the home. — Greg Wehner, FOXNews.com, 24 Aug. 2026 Another man, not involved in the shooting, was seen on video ducking behind his vehicle for cover. — Tara Lynch, CBS News, 22 May 2026 Or tie scolds to the ducking stool again. — Annie Lowrey, The Atlantic, 28 Apr. 2026 Automatic ducking doesn't add quacks to your soundtrack. — PC Magazine, 15 Nov. 2025 In true TikTok style, however, the song gets a comedic twist in the goofy ducking-out scenario. — Leslie Katz, Forbes.com, 13 Aug. 2025 What's your take on this Jeep 'ducking' trend? — Morgan Korn, ABC News, 10 Aug. 2025 Student leaders, administrators and co-principal Lorena Moreno formed a welcome tunnel near the gate, cheering as students entered — some ducking past the fanfare and others stopping for hugs and greetings. — Hanna Kang, Oc Register, 6 Aug. 2025

Verb

Lastly, try ducking into Casey Rubber Stamps, founded in 1979, in the West Village, and a neighborhood fixture since 2003. — The New Yorker, New Yorker, 16 Oct. 2026 The system lets robots choose suitable movements, such as stepping over objects, ducking under overhead barriers, or turning sideways to pass through narrow gaps. — Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 13 Oct. 2026 Meanwhile, Cooper is in Palm Springs, ducking the Better Business Bureau and reluctantly participating in his daughter’s documentary about his upbringing. — Ryan Chapman, Literary Hub, 30 Sep. 2026 And who will have to settle for simply drinking out of a coconut or ducking under stuff? — Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Sep. 2026 Deputies quickly detained Mendiola after witnesses, who were ducking for cover, pointed him out. — Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 25 Sep. 2026 Paxton has so far failed to hold large campaign events and is ducking debates. — Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 28 Aug. 2026 Store employees are seen ducking for cover as more shots are fired. — Aziza Shuler, CBS News, 25 Aug. 2026 The masked person, carrying a distinctive blue plaid backpack, was last seen ducking into the SEPTA metro train’s Suburban Station. — David K. Li, NBC news, 20 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for ducking

Noun

In the newer buildings—built in the same style as the original house—some accommodations feature a private pool and garden area, which is the perfect space for a small family, bridal suite, or honeymoon escape.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 13 Oct. 2026
The burglars dropped the other two paintings—the 1895 Portrait of Madame Pichon and the 1905 Coco Lisant—in the garden of the museum while making their escape.

— News Desk, Artforum, 12 Oct. 2026

Definition of escape

Verb

Her style is pithy and blunt, avoiding the ornate sentence structure of classical German.

— Alex Ross, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026
However early the experiment might be, the launch is a milestone for an emerging technology that has the potential to help meet AI’s growing demand for compute while avoiding the constraints on resources like power, water, and land on Earth.

— Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune, 10 Oct. 2026

Definition of avoiding

Verb

With a bigger budget from Netflix, Sy and Leterrier leaned further into the show’s superhero-like qualities, expanding its universe beyond the novels of Maurice Leblanc and weaving some futuristic elements.

— Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 16 Oct. 2026
By weaving these stories together, Cuarón used the epic’s themes of exile and separation to provide a fresh take on Hodgson Burnett’s classic novel.

— Sohini Sarah Pillai, The Conversation, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of weaving

Verb

Where casting shines is in quickly dipping into an app without reaching for your phone and unlocking it, like updating a payment in the settlement app Splitwise or sending a quick message in WhatsApp.

— Dominic Preston, The Verge, 12 Oct. 2026
The eyewear brand is dipping its toe into leather goods with a collection built around travel — with one’s eyewear of course.

— Sandra Salibian, Footwear News, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of dipping

Noun

China appears to be the main culprit behind the tariff dodging, processing exports through more than 40 other countries, according to the report.

— Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 14 Aug. 2026
Many Londoners have firsthand experience of phone-snatching or have witnessed a surge in shoplifting and subway fare-dodging.

— ABC News, ABC News, 23 July 2026

Definition of dodging

Verb

The new Marvel series will see the hero grapple with his identity and humanity while evading a bounty hunter and reuniting with his son.

— Tracy Brown, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2026
The suspects were booked into the Fort Worth City Jail and face charges of burglary of a building, evading arrest or detention, and criminal mischief, according to police records.

— Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of evading

Noun

The flags couldn’t be redder, and Khoshnoudi nimbly sketches out the circuitous emotional paths S takes to avoid seeing them until such evasion suddenly and brutally becomes impossible.

— Sara Holdren, Vulture, 14 Oct. 2026
Fan largely disappeared from Chinese screens after a 2018 tax evasion case.

— Lin Ying-Hsuan, Variety, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of evasion

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ducked

ducking

ducks

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Style

“Ducking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ducking. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of ducking

noun

verb

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