shirk

verb

ˈshərk How to pronounce shirk (audio)
Definition of shirknext
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

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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

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 shirk Nick, desperate to return to the present, shirks the doting parents and brother who long to comfort him. — Sam Bodrojan, IndieWire, 17 June 2026 In the meantime, each of the three companies is shirking blame. — Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 5 June 2026 And Macy’s is still doing those in New York City this summer, so nobody’s shirking on the fireworks. — Paige Darrah, Condé Nast Traveler, 26 May 2026 Men don’t shirk family responsibilities. — Sean Gregory, Time, 26 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for shirk
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shirk
  1. avoid
  2. neglect
  3. lurk
  4. evade
  5. forget
  6. sneak
  7. escape
  8. slip
Verb
  • City officials asked people to avoid the downtown area where police are investigating the shooting.
    — Michael Loria, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Some China watchers, however, are keeping their expectations low, as both sides appear to be more interested in avoiding moves that would risk their current trade truce.
    — Justina Lee, CNBC, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of avoid
Verb
  • Outdated decor makes a space feel neglected, so refresh fabrics, lighting, and colors for a modern vibe.
    — Betsy Cribb Watson, Southern Living, 31 Aug. 2026
  • But instead of investing in stronger operational support, employee retention, or product supply chains, Cornell engaged in years of stock buybacks that failed to generate shareholder value, while neglecting the company’s serious problems.
    — Tejal Patel, Fortune, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of neglect
Verb
  • Regardless of whether mines still lurk in the water, Iran's threat to attack ships has kept traffic to a minimum.
    — Mark Osborne, CBS News, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Superstitious Romans imagined demons lurking in the darkness under the toilet seats.
    — Andrew Coletti, Popular Science, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of lurk
Verb
  • He was booked into San Diego Central Jail on charges of felony evading a peace officer with wanton disregard for safety, obstructing or resisting a peace officer and driving under the influence of drugs, according to police.
    — Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 1 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 evade
Verb
  • Targets have included The New York Times in 1968, Cosmopolitan in 1972 — who can forget that sizzling hot Henry Kissinger centerfold?
    — Maer Roshan, HollywoodReporter, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Those runs could have been quickly forgotten if Lauer had gotten back on track.
    — Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of forget
Verb
  • Manual friction sneaks in as systems fail to scale with growth or suffer from poor implementation.
    — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Both were placed on IR-return, which allowed 23-year-old Jacob Bayer to sneak onto the roster after a fantastic camp.
    — Paul Dehner Jr, New York Times, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of sneak
Verb
  • Lyonnes and Washington Spirit of the NWSL, Kang’s influence stretches across the global game, but it cannot be escaped that Putellas has dropped down from the highest level with this move.
    — Katie Whyatt, New York Times, 1 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 escape
Verb
  • The metalpoint tool sometimes slips or skitters; the fountain pen sometimes stops working—though, deprived of vision, the artist is unaware, and keeps drawing the now-invisible line.
    — Jeffrey Weiss, Artforum, 1 Sep. 2026
  • The 49ers, an otherwise good team, have for the past couple of months been weaving and slipping bad news like a boxer trying to avoid a knockout punch.
    — Armando Salguero OutKick, FOXNews.com, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of slip

Browse Nearby Words

shipyards
shirk
shirked
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Cite this Entry

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

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More from Merriam-Webster on shirk

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about shirk

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