SHUNS Synonyms: 54 Similar and Opposite Words

shuns

verb

present tense third-person singular of shun

as in avoids

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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 shuns Continue reading … POLITICS HEARTLAND HERO — Patriotic woman fills void after Dem gov shuns America's 250th birthday bash. — FOXNews.com, 3 July 2026 This strategy shuns grand openings, favoring subtle engagement and long-term commitment, guiding future US growth. — Mark Faithfull, Forbes.com, 23 June 2026 Altman is a booster for San Francisco, advising its mayor and expanding OpenAI’s offices here, while Musk shuns the city and now lives in Texas. — David Ingram, NBC news, 26 Apr. 2026 Mitski lies on the lawn looking at the girl leaving her, like the witch in Into the Woods when Rapunzel shuns her and then gets promptly trampled by a giant. — Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 16 Jan. 2026 The unfortunate truth is that the agency has lost its way and shuns innovation. — Ross Marchand, Baltimore Sun, 14 Jan. 2026 Vanya is a closeted gay man who shuns intimacy and Sonia is a neurotic spinster who feels unnoticed and unloved. — Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Oct. 2025 Laugh is the kind of rap mastery that shuns maximalism for pristine, unadorned poetics. — Andre Gee, Rolling Stone, 29 Aug. 2025 Instead of a tale of entrapment or escape, Ruth is a story about how a woman full of longing can operate inside a collective that shuns the very notion of wanting. — Hillary Kelly, The Atlantic, 20 Aug. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for shuns

Verb

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

Definition of avoids

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

Browse Nearby Words

shunpikes

shuns

shunt

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

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

Copy Citation

Synonyms of shuns

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

matriculate

Popular in Grammar & Usage

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 4

Popular

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Games & Quizzes