evade

verb

evaded; evading

intransitive verb

1
: to slip away
2
: to take refuge in escape or avoidance

transitive verb

1
: to elude by dexterity or stratagem
2
a
: to avoid facing up to
evaded the real issues
b
: to avoid the performance of : dodge, circumvent
especially : to fail to pay (taxes)
c
: to avoid answering directly : turn aside
3
: to be elusive to : baffle
the simple, personal meaning evaded themC. D. Lewis
evadable adjective
evader noun
Choose the Right Synonym for evade

escape, avoid, evade, elude, shun, eschew mean to get away or keep away from something.

escape stresses the fact of getting away or being passed by not necessarily through effort or by conscious intent.

nothing escapes her sharp eyes

avoid stresses forethought and caution in keeping clear of danger or difficulty.

try to avoid past errors

evade implies adroitness, ingenuity, or lack of scruple in escaping or avoiding.

evaded the question by changing the subject

elude implies a slippery or baffling quality in the person or thing that escapes.

what she sees in him eludes me

shun often implies an avoiding as a matter of habitual practice or policy and may imply repugnance or abhorrence.

you have shunned your responsibilities

eschew implies an avoiding or abstaining from as unwise or distasteful.

a playwright who eschews melodrama

Examples of evade in a Sentence

The criminals have so far managed to evade the police. a politician skilled at evading difficult questions The governor has been accused of evading the issue.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
The last few months have borne witness to AI systems learning to mislead, cheat, and try to evade shutdown—even resorting to blackmail. Harry Booth, Time, 3 June 2025 Massey has evaded hundreds of authorities in a multistate manhunt. Holly Yan, CNN Money, 3 June 2025 The turning point was a Super Bowl stunt, orchestrated by Disney marketers, that found Stitch seeming to break onto the field shortly after the coin toss and evade capture by stadium staff. Brooks Barnes, New York Times, 2 June 2025 Yet, in great similarity to the other fallacies, this tactic also serves to evade accountability. Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 1 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for evade

Word History

Etymology

Middle French & Latin; Middle French evader, from Latin evadere, from e- + vadere to go, walk — more at wade

First Known Use

1513, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of evade was in 1513

Cite this Entry

“Evade.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/evade. Accessed 7 Jun. 2025.

Kids Definition

evade

verb
evaded; evading
1
: to get away from or avoid by skill or trickery
evade a question
evade capture
2
: to escape the understanding of
the meaning of the message evaded them
evadable adjective
evader noun

Legal Definition

evade

transitive verb
evaded; evading
1
: to unlawfully fail to pay (taxes) through fraudulent or deceptive means compare avoid
2
: to avoid answering directly
trying to evade the question

More from Merriam-Webster on evade

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