avoided

verb

past tense of avoid
1
as in evaded
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 abolished
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 avoided Indian cricketers have avoided handshakes with Pakistan players, and have refused to accept the trophy and medals from a Pakistani official at more than one tournament. — ABC News, 3 Oct. 2026 Then Baldwin avoided chasing a pair of sliders to even the count. — Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 3 Oct. 2026 The third defendant, then-18-year-old Shadolla Peterson, who acted as a lookout while her two friends carried out the attack, testified for the state and avoided the death penalty. — Landon Mion, FOXNews.com, 2 Oct. 2026 Mainstream political parties previously avoided publicly advocating for a return to the European Union out of concern over alienating voters in pro Brexit regions and exacerbating societal polarization. — CNBC, 2 Oct. 2026 Despite the failure of an upper stage engine, an abort was avoided, allowing the spacecraft to reach orbit and deploy 26 Starlink satellites. — New Atlas, 29 Sep. 2026 Kathryn, who has avoided speaking to journalists until now, says that she’s been fielding calls since minutes after Charlie was shot. — Clara Molot, Vanity Fair, 29 Sep. 2026 Most cooking misadventures can be avoided altogether by simply knowing what is in store. — Chris Morocco, Bon Appetit Magazine, 26 Sep. 2026 As a cub, his mother avoided taking him and his littermates to the competitive Brooks Falls to fish. — Popular Science Team, Popular Science, 25 Sep. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for avoided
  1. evaded
  2. abolished
  3. escaped
  4. repealed
  5. prevented
  6. canceled
  7. dodged
  8. overturned
Verb
  • Fort Worth Eastern Hills improved to 2-0 in District 5-4A Division I behind running back Chris Johnson, who has 841 yards and 16 touchdowns in five games, as the Highlanders chase a district title that has evaded them since 1975.
    — Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Oct. 2026
  • For the tax years 2022 and 2023, Steve Kim willfully evaded the assessment of income tax in the amount of $155,021, while Ted Kim willfully evaded the assessment of income tax in the amount of $97,354, prosecutors said.
    — Julie Sharp, CBS News, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of evaded
Verb
  • Holt said 13% of sales from the drinks will support Black Comedy Fest KC, with the percentage chosen as a reference to the 13th Amendment, which abolished slavery, and the festival’s social justice component.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Continue reading … CAT FIGHT — Kitten rescue defends ‘NO F---ING MAGA’ adoption policy as PETA calls for it to be abolished.
    — , FOXNews.com, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of abolished
Verb
  • On a scramble of roughly 20 yards, Katz escaped the pocket, broke tackles and juked defenders in the open field to extend the drive.
    — D’Joumbarey Moreau, Miami Herald, 3 Oct. 2026
  • The game itself was one of the best contests of the regular season, as Clark and Cunningham escaped Atlanta with an overtime victory, avenging their earlier losses to Reese and the Dream earlier in the season.
    — Jackson Thompson OutKick, FOXNews.com, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of escaped
Verb
  • Hours later, Paxton said the tax should be permanently repealed.
    — Eleanor Dearman, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Democrats, whose support is needed to pass the legislation in the Senate, would like to see most of the new SNAP changes repealed.
    — Tracy Roof, The Conversation, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of repealed
Verb
  • Soenen also wondered whether saying no differently or more forcefully could have prevented the assault.
    — Dalia Faheid, CNN Money, 4 Oct. 2026
  • Rees-Mogg defended Britain’s decision to enter the war, arguing that the country’s victory over Nazi Germany preserved its sovereignty and prevented Hitler from continuing to expand across Europe.
    — Rena Rowe, The Washington Examiner, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of prevented
Verb
  • Journalists traveling with Machado initially said the flights had been canceled because of paperwork problems, according to the Dutch report.
    — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 2 Oct. 2026
  • And Nikolay Novichkov, a deputy of the 8th State Duma, publicly called for a probe into the Hitler comments and said the concerts should be canceled lest the rapper publicly support the war in Ukraine.
    — Kevin Dolak, HollywoodReporter, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of canceled
Verb
  • Each time the door shut behind the man, Shawn had the feeling that some danger had been temporarily dodged, some crisis averted until the next day.
    — Rachel Heng, New Yorker, 4 Oct. 2026
  • Senior quarterback Landon Conroy dodged rushers, revved up his arm and brought the North Stars within 14 points early in the fourth quarter before Batavia held on for a 55-35 victory.
    — Mike McGraw, Chicago Tribune, 19 Sep. 2026
Definition of dodged
Verb
  • When a call is overturned, Baseball Savant measures the difference in run expectancy between the situation before the pitch/challenge and the situation after the call is flipped.
    — Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 7 Oct. 2026
  • The driver of a semitractor-trailer that overturned early Wednesday in Olathe died in the crash, according to the Kansas Highway Patrol.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of overturned

Browse Nearby Words

avoidances
avoided
avoiding
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Cite this Entry

“Avoided.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/avoided. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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