Synonyms of shirking

shirking

verb

present participle of shirk

1

as in avoiding

to get or keep away from (as a responsibility) through cleverness or trickery

you always try to shirk paying your fair share of the bill by claiming you "forgot" your wallet

Synonyms & Similar Words

• avoiding
• evading
• escaping
• shunning
• eschewing
• dodging
• eluding
• shaking
• preventing
• deflecting
• ducking
• eliminating
• shuffling (out of)
• scaping
• finessing
• keeping clear of
• circumventing
• steering clear of
• excluding
• fighting shy of
• staying clear of
• getting around
• precluding
• missing
• weaseling (out of)
• obviating
• averting
• thwarting
• parrying
• excepting
• diverting
• debarring
• banning
• warding (off)
• bypassing
• ruling out
• outwitting
• overreaching
• skirting
• foiling
• barring
• outsmarting
• frustrating
• outfoxing
• foxing

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• seeking
• accepting
• pursuing
• embracing
• catching
• contracting
• courting
• welcoming
• incurring

2

as in neglecting

to leave undone or unattended to especially through carelessness

a deadbeat who has been shirking his duty to his family for years

Synonyms & Similar Words

• neglecting
• forgetting
• slacking (off)

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• doing
• performing
• remembering
• attending (to)
• carrying out
• executing
• achieving
• accomplishing
• maintaining
• keeping up

3

as in sneaking

to move about in a sly or secret manner

given the multitude of auditoriums at the multiplex, it's not too difficult for underaged kids to shirk into R-rated movies

Synonyms & Similar Words

• sneaking
• lurking
• slipping
• sliding
• stealing
• slinking
• skulking
• crawling
• tiptoeing
• creeping
• snaking
• pussyfooting
• mooching
• mousing
• edging
• inching
• padding
• worming
• ghosting

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of shirking

And Macy’s is still doing those in New York City this summer, so nobody’s shirking on the fireworks. —Paige Darrah, Condé Nast Traveler, 26 May 2026

Paying influencers is legal, though state law requires both campaigns and the creators to disclose compensation, which the Becerra and Steyer campaigns have each accused the other of shirking in recent ethics complaints. —Lia Russell, Sacbee.com, 22 May 2026

Hong Kong — China’s top spy agency has come out of the shadows to warn that its young people are being duped by foreign forces into shirking hard work and prioritizing their individual emotions at the expense of national development. —Sylvie Zhuang, CNN Money, 7 May 2026

Without shirking responsibility, the 52-year-old explained that her judgment had been clouded in part by other circumstances in her life. —Assistant Editor, Los Angeles Times, 1 Apr. 2026

The book opened a window on the lives of Silicon Valley’s Tech Bro culture, one that valued fierce competition, shirking of government rules and business growth above all else. —Paul Flahive, Austin American Statesman, 17 Mar. 2026

The three central male characters — Mike, Lou, and Orman — all converge on the archetype of the lone wolf, a dubious label the collaboration-shirking Lou has taken on in his precinct, and one his colleagues are decidedly over. —Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 11 Feb. 2026

By shirking their duty to maintain order and protect agents, these local officials endanger lives and undermine national security. —Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 12 Jan. 2026

Wife Swap explains this as Emily shirking her stay-at-home-mom responsibilities by ending up on a TV show. —Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 5 Nov. 2025