SHUN Synonyms: 54 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the verb 'shun' contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of shun are avoid , elude , escape , eschew , and evade . While all these words mean "to get away or keep away from something," shun often implies an avoiding as a matter of habitual practice or policy and may imply repugnance or abhorrence. // you have shunned your responsibilities

Q: Where would 'avoid' be a reasonable alternative to 'shun'?

In some situations, the words avoid and shun are roughly equivalent. However, avoid stresses forethought and caution in keeping clear of danger or difficulty. // try to avoid past errors

Q: When can 'elude' be used instead of 'shun'?

While the synonyms elude and shun are close in meaning, elude implies a slippery or baffling quality in the person or thing that escapes. // what she sees in him eludes me

Q: When is 'escape' a more appropriate choice than 'shun'?

The synonyms escape and shun are sometimes interchangeable, but escape stresses the fact of getting away or being passed by not necessarily through effort or by conscious intent. // nothing escapes her sharp eyes

Q: When might 'eschew' be a better fit than 'shun'?

While in some cases nearly identical to shun , eschew implies an avoiding or abstaining from as unwise or distasteful. // a playwright who eschews melodrama

Q: In what contexts can 'evade' take the place of 'shun'?

Although the words evade and shun have much in common, evade implies adroitness, ingenuity, or lack of scruple in escaping or avoiding. // evaded the question by changing the subject

shun

verb

ˈshən

Definition of shun

as in to avoid

to get or keep away from (as a responsibility) through cleverness or trickery just a ruse to shun the debt collectors

Synonyms & Similar Words

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How does the verb shun contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of shun are avoid, elude, escape, eschew, and evade. While all these words mean "to get away or keep away from something," shun often implies an avoiding as a matter of habitual practice or policy and may imply repugnance or abhorrence.

you have shunned your responsibilities

Where would avoid be a reasonable alternative to shun?

In some situations, the words avoid and shun are roughly equivalent. However, avoid stresses forethought and caution in keeping clear of danger or difficulty.

try to avoid past errors

When can elude be used instead of shun?

While the synonyms elude and shun are close in meaning, elude implies a slippery or baffling quality in the person or thing that escapes.

what she sees in him eludes me

When is escape a more appropriate choice than shun?

The synonyms escape and shun are sometimes interchangeable, but escape stresses the fact of getting away or being passed by not necessarily through effort or by conscious intent.

nothing escapes her sharp eyes

When might eschew be a better fit than shun?

While in some cases nearly identical to shun, eschew implies an avoiding or abstaining from as unwise or distasteful.

a playwright who eschews melodrama

In what contexts can evade take the place of shun?

Although the words evade and shun have much in common, evade implies adroitness, ingenuity, or lack of scruple in escaping or avoiding.

evaded the question by changing the subject

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 shun Jim also pushed back against investors solely shunning Starbucks and other consumer stocks over concerns about higher interest rates. — Alexa Lomonaco, CNBC, 12 Oct. 2026 Although she was found not guilty the following year, Lizzie was shunned by her community after the trial and spent the rest of her life in relative isolation. — Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 25 Sep. 2026 The mares are now shunning poor Valentine, which Puckett hopes is only temporary. — Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 15 Sep. 2026 As bridge construction and congestion swamp Greater Cincinnati, some travelers are shunning spans over the river and taking a more nautical commute. — Jennie Key, Cincinnati Enquirer, 11 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for shun

Recent Examples of Synonyms for shun

Verb

Recently, A'ja Wilson charged aggressively toward a fan in the stands and avoided a suspension.

— Bobby Burack OutKick, FOXNews.com, 14 Oct. 2026
The group chose roads that would keep them moving, avoiding excessive stop-start riding at traffic lights and intersections wherever possible.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of avoid

Verb

Europe hopes to build the euro into an alternative global currency to evade the dollar’s iron grip.

— Henry Farrell, Foreign Affairs, 20 Oct. 2026
Tel Aviv — At least 40 ultra-Orthodox Jewish men were arrested upon arriving Tuesday morning at Israel's Ben Gurion Airport on suspicion of attempting to evade the country's military draft, the Israel Defense Forces said.

— Dov Lieber, CBS News, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of evade

Verb

For all its tests, the company builds realistic simulated environments, red teams these environments itself and with third parties to see whether they can be escaped, and monitors what agents do.

— Andrew Nusca, Fortune, 21 Oct. 2026
Most of the work of recovery is about treating whatever is causing people to escape their lives into endless scrolling and stimulation, Kardaras says.

— Allison Parshall, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of escape

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shuls

shun

shunned

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“Shun.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shun. Accessed 22 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of shun

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