shirking

verb

present participle of shirk
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

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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

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 shirking Barnett’s death also inspired other Boeing employees to speak out about the company allegedly shirking quality standards to increase profit. — Alyssa Modos, PEOPLE, 20 Aug. 2026 During a livestream of a pre-pageant event, Itsaragrisil berated Miss Mexico’s Fátima Bosch, accusing her of shirking mandatory promotional responsibilities for the host country. — Brianna Zigler, Entertainment Weekly, 18 Aug. 2026 Legal Aid argued that the state was shirking its obligation to keep her and her children safely housed. — Spencer Norris, ProPublica, 9 July 2026 But more than ever before, Nouel said, women are shirking the expectations of previous generations and considering all of their options to happiness, instead of staying in relationships that don't serve them. — Madeline Mitchell, USA Today, 30 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 Paying influencers is legal, though state law requires both campaigns and the creators to disclose compensation, which the Becerra and Steyer campaigns have each accused the other of shirking in recent ethics complaints. — Lia Russell, Sacbee.com, 22 May 2026 Hong Kong — China’s top spy agency has come out of the shadows to warn that its young people are being duped by foreign forces into shirking hard work and prioritizing their individual emotions at the expense of national development. — Sylvie Zhuang, CNN Money, 7 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shirking
  1. avoiding
  2. neglecting
  3. sneaking
  4. evading
  5. lurking
  6. escaping
  7. slipping
  8. sliding
Verb
  • Suggest a timeline, assign a task, or ask the question everyone keeps politely avoiding.
    — Tarot.com, New York Daily News, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Officials annually emphasize boating safety, wearing life jackets and being aware of conditions, especially rip currents, and avoiding drinking alcoholic beverages when venturing out on the water.
    — Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of avoiding
Verb
  • Or if leadership got seduced by silhouette, movement and atmosphere, neglecting to marry the galleries to the overall concept.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 2 Sep. 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 neglecting
Verb
  • Police are investigating a rash of incidents involving people sneaking out of sewers.
    — Karissa Waddick, USA Today, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Pinch-hitter Eli White followed by sneaking a soft line drive up the middle to drive in Durbin, cutting the Giants’ lead to 2-1.
    — Justice delos Santos, Mercury News, 23 Aug. 2026
Definition of sneaking
Verb
  • Sheriff’s officials said he was booked at the South Placer County Jail on several criminal charges, including evading a police officer.
    — Rosalio Ahumada, Sacbee.com, 4 Sep. 2026
  • The recent changes followed reports that some foreign residents had been driving up home prices or evading payments for their public health insurance.
    — Christine Miyawaki, CNN Money, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of evading
Verb
  • Maybe the top of the fridge hasn’t seen a wipe-down in months, or the inside of your toaster tray has some lurking crumbs.
    — Katie Rosenhouse, Southern Living, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Scientists do not yet know whether dark matter is made up of ancient black holes lurking throughout space, undiscovered heavy and slow particles, or unknown lighter and faster particles.
    — Noah Haggerty, Los Angeles Times, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of lurking
Verb
  • The film, which will include stop-motion animation and live-action sequences, is an adaptation of Shane Jones’ cult novel exploring the tension between escaping war through imagination and confronting its reality.
    — Alexandra Patterson, Variety, 3 Sep. 2026
  • The tiny, colorful birds will spend winter in Mexico and Central America, escaping the cold and snow in Michigan, before returning in spring 2027.
    — Jenna Prestininzi, Freep.com, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of escaping
Verb
  • 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
  • The campaign showcases Diesel’s creased denim treated with resin, 3-D denim, trompe l’oeil cable knit denim and the new regular-fit D-Heel jean, which has hidden vertical slits near the ankle, perfect for slipping through a stiletto heel.
    — Angela Velasquez, Footwear News, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of slipping
Verb
  • Rodriguez ducks away from the challenge before sliding a reverse pass through for Adria Pedrosa to strike at goal.
    — Thom Harris, New York Times, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Faraday Future’s shares peaked with excitement about its EV plans in 2021 and have been sliding since then.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of sliding

Browse Nearby Words

shirkers
shirking
shirks
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Cite this Entry

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

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