avoiding

verb

present participle of avoid
1
as in evading
to get or keep away from (as a responsibility) through cleverness or trickery trying to avoid writing thank-you notes for the gifts he didn't like

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in abolishing
to put an end to by formal action asked the court to avoid the contract because it was signed under duress

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 avoiding The state health department says that avoiding tick bites is the best way to avoid tularemia. — Jen Christensen, CNN Money, 4 Aug. 2026 An armed off-duty Idaho state trooper and a private citizen confronted the shooter, likely driving him from the scene and avoiding further casualties, according to Twin Falls Police Chief Matthew Hicks. — ABC News, 3 Aug. 2026 Countries including Kenya, Angola and Senegal have cultivated partnerships with China, Europe, Japan and the United States, seeking to maximize technology transfer while avoiding dependence on any one power. — Yinka Adegoke, semafor.com, 3 Aug. 2026 Punk went for a moonsault, which looked sloppy, and Rhodes moved, mostly avoiding the impact. — Blake Oestriecher, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2026 Act quickly to prevent stains from setting by avoiding the dryer and rinsing with cold water. — Ashlyn Needham, Southern Living, 2 Aug. 2026 Balancing the risks of using AI agents versus the threat of avoiding them is a work in progress with no clear answers for now. — Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 27 July 2026 The Irish notwithstanding, this year appears more manageable, avoiding Indiana, Ohio State, Oregon and Michigan in Big Ten play. — Justin Williams, New York Times, 27 July 2026 Notably, Kohberger waived his right to appeal the case in exchange for avoiding the death penalty. — David Zimmermann, The Washington Examiner, 27 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for avoiding
  1. evading
  2. abolishing
  3. escaping
  4. repealing
  5. preventing
  6. canceling
  7. dodging
  8. overturning
Verb
  • He also was booked on four outstanding warrants related to evading law enforcement, according to police.
    — Nicole Buss, Sacbee.com, 29 July 2026
  • Between 1997 and 2005, he was convicted of multiple counts of DUI, speeding, reckless driving and evading police.
    — Marissa Perlman, CBS News, 29 July 2026
Definition of evading
Verb
  • El-Sayed describes himself as a capitalist and is not endorsed by the Democratic Socialists, but shares a similar policy platform to many of their candidates, such as abolishing ICE.
    — Sam Gringlas, NPR, 1 Aug. 2026
  • The video showed Romer confirming what the DSA platform stands for, including abolishing the Senate and replacing the presidency.
    — Britta Miller, The Washington Examiner, 31 July 2026
Definition of abolishing
Verb
  • Seal air leaks and improve insulation to stop conditioned air from escaping your home.
    — Alora Bopray, USA Today, 30 July 2026
  • Another notable trend in technical textiles is the goal of escaping petrochemical dependency through green chemistry, bio-fabrication and circular textile systems.
    — Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 27 July 2026
Definition of escaping
Verb
  • The options to address sales tax exemptions for data centers could include limiting the sales tax exemption or repealing them, Huffman said.
    — Eleanor Dearman, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 July 2026
  • Instead of lobbying for the law, Congress should be thinking about reforming, if not repealing, it.
    — James Surowiecki, The Atlantic, 21 July 2026
Definition of repealing
Verb
  • This significant and unexpected drop in Chinese demand freed up those barrels to go elsewhere, preventing the kind of shortage that might have led to truly catastrophic prices.
    — Rogé Karma, The Atlantic, 29 July 2026
  • Public health and environmental experts told The Associated Press the coming weeks are critical to preventing secondary crises caused by contaminants from the rubble and rebuilding.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 29 July 2026
Definition of preventing
Verb
  • Last week, the company agreed to hold the merger until five days after a trial verdict or June 1, 2027, whichever comes first, canceling the injunction hearing and conceding the calendar to its opponents.
    — Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Fortune, 3 Aug. 2026
  • Other in-flight amenities include noise-canceling headphones, large pillow, 100% wool blanket, and an amenity kit.
    — Jessica Puckett, Condé Nast Traveler, 1 Aug. 2026
Definition of canceling
Verb
  • Throughout the day, teenagers would dash onto the beach, dodging officers before diving back into the water.
    — Kerry Breen, CBS News, 31 July 2026
  • Discovered in 2004 while traveling on an alarming potential collision course with our planet, the near-Earth asteroid Apophis is now better known as the best example yet of our world dodging a cosmic bullet.
    — Andrew Jones, Scientific American, 30 July 2026
Definition of dodging
Verb
  • The court delivered on a long-term goal of the conservative legal movement, overturning a 90-year precedent that had limited the ability of presidents to fire leaders of agencies that Congress designed to be independent.
    — Emily R. Condon, USA Today, 30 July 2026
  • In June, 2025, the Israelis conducted an extended assault that appeared partly aimed at overturning the Iranian government.
    — David D. Kirkpatrick, New Yorker, 20 July 2026
Definition of overturning

Browse Nearby Words

avoided
avoiding
avoids
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Cite this Entry

“Avoiding.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/avoiding. Accessed 5 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of avoiding for Spanish Speakers

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