duck 1 of 2

verb

Definition of ducknext
1
as in to avoid
to get or keep away from (as a responsibility) through cleverness or trickery don't try to duck your commitment to spending Thanksgiving with your family by claiming you have to work

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to weave
to move suddenly aside or to and fro duck behind a pillar before they see us

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3
as in to dip
to sink or push (something) briefly into or as if into a liquid ducked the new camper in the lake as a joke

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duck

2 of 2

noun

ˈdək How to pronounce duck (audio)
as in person
a member of the human race her coworkers regard her as something of an odd duck

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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 duck
Verb
Deputies quickly detained Mendiola after witnesses, who were ducking for cover, pointed him out. — Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 25 Sep. 2026 Even so, the show ducked and dived the long arm of the network fuddy-duddies beautifully, skirting the edge of censorship with a knowing wink, clever pun, and out-of-this-world comedic timing. — Sergio Pereira, Space.com, 22 Sep. 2026
Noun
Blumenthal hopes to see action on KOSA in the lame-duck session. — Lisa Hagen, Hartford Courant, 2 Oct. 2026 The brand’s Down Pillow uses a three-chamber construction, with a supportive core of white duck feathers surrounded by a feather-and-down blend, all encased in breathable 100% japara cotton. — Nashia Baker, Architectural Digest, 2 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for duck
Recent Examples of Synonyms for duck
  1. avoid
  2. weave
  3. dip
  4. person
  5. evade
  6. dodge
  7. dunk
  8. man
Verb
  • Rates actually continued to increase after the Society of Surgical Oncology adopted the guidelines in 2016, even though patients who received the biopsy were not more likely to survive or avoid recurrence.
    — Allessandra DiCorato, STAT, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Clapp said the firm focuses on avoiding highly leveraged companies and floating-rate debt, instead favoring investments with dependable cash flows to support clients over the long term.
    — Jessica Dickler, CNBC, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of avoid
Verb
  • The village's pedestrian-only strip weaves through small shops, restaurants, and boutiques, and there's a Naval Museum housed in a 19th-century captain’s mansion that highlights the island’s maritime history—and is worth a visit.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
  • The Oilers didn’t have the same time and space to weave through traffic and choose their spots at will.
    — Janson Duench, New York Times, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of weave
Verb
  • On a senior-laden team with high expectations last season, there was no time for a sophomore like him to dip his feet into the pool to test the water at the varsity level.
    — Steve Reaven, Chicago Tribune, 8 Oct. 2026
  • The Orlane, an A-line midi that also comes in black, is lined and made from 100% wool—wear it with knee-high boots to keep warm as the temperatures dip.
    — Elly Leavitt, Vogue, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of dip
Noun
  • Being able to have the in-person connectivity with talking to your coworkers, being able to collaborate, is great and then also the larger programming of the company as a whole.
    — Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 9 Oct. 2026
  • One person was killed in a strike on Riyadh airport, a Saudia Airlines plane was reportedly in flames, and hundreds of flights have been canceled.
    — Matthew Martin, semafor.com, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of person
Verb
  • Yet Iran’s regime has developed sophisticated networks to combat and evade sanctions.
    — David Goldman, CNN Money, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Young rolled to his right, evading Aidan Hutchinson’s pressure, and threw a perfect pass along the sideline in which McMillan stretched his arms and hauled in the catch using all 6-foot-4 of him, his toes to his fingertips.
    — Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of evade
Verb
  • Coding a malicious program that steals private data while dodging detection by antivirus tools is hard.
    — Neil J. Rubenking, PC Magazine, 30 Sep. 2026
  • In the mid-70s, Stallone was a struggling actor, only landing gigs in shady erotic movies and dodging ever-piling bills, made even more pressing by the upcoming arrival of his first child.
    — Rafa Sales Ross, Variety, 26 Sep. 2026
Definition of dodge
Verb
  • That includes dunking your head into a bowl of ice water to trigger your mammalian dive reflex.
    — Lennon Sherburne, NPR, 3 Oct. 2026
  • Later, she’s brought in a police car to a nearby pond, strapped to an excavator and dunked into the water as a crowd of anti-immigrant protestors cheer on the public execution.
    — Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of dunk
Noun
  • Federal prosecutors have accused a Cuban man living as a lawful permanent resident in Cass County of voting illegally.
    — Nathan Pilling, Kansas City Star, 7 Oct. 2026
  • The increase in online sports betting has worsened mental health problems in younger men, leading to more hospital visits as a result.
    — Devika Rao, TheWeek, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of man

Phrases Containing duck

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duchy
duck
ducked
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Cite this Entry

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

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More from Merriam-Webster on duck

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about duck

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