evade

[ih-veyd]

verb (used with object)

evaded, evading 

1. to escape from by trickery or cleverness.

   to evade one's pursuers.

   Synonyms: dodge, avoid
   Antonyms: confront, face

2. to get around by trickery.

   to evade rules.

3. to avoid doing or fulfilling.

   to evade an obligation.

4. to avoid answering directly.

   to evade a question.

5. to elude; escape.

   The solution evaded him.

verb (used without object)

evaded, evading 

1. to avoid doing or fulfilling something.

2. to elude or get away from someone or something by craft or slyness; escape.

evade

/ ɪˈveɪd /

verb

1. to get away from or avoid (imprisonment, captors, etc); escape

2. to get around, shirk, or dodge (the law, a duty, etc)

3. (also intr) to avoid answering (a question)

Other Word Forms

• evadable adjective
• evadible adjective
• evader noun
• evadingly adverb
• nonevadable adjective
• nonevadible adjective
• nonevading adjective
• nonevadingly adverb
• preevade verb (used with object)
• unevadable adjective
• unevaded adjective
• unevadible adjective
• unevading adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of evade¹

First recorded in 1505–15; from Latin ēvādere “to pass over, go out,” equivalent to ē- “out of, from” + vādere “to go, walk” e- ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of evade¹

C16: from French évader, from Latin ēvādere to go forth, from vādere to go

Synonym Study

See escape.

Example Sentences

“If this pattern persists, by late fall, more than one-third of the 93 U.S. Attorneys will have evaded Senate review this year alone,” the letter read.

From Los Angeles Times

“North Korea is effectively evading any economic sanctions through Russia and China,” she said.

From Los Angeles Times

For some five decades, he successfully evaded arrest or capture.

From BBC

But police argue the draft shows Bolsonaro's intent to evade justice.

From BBC

Tory Dugas, 36, had been sentenced to five years in state prison for assaulting a family member and two years for evading arrest, Harris County Sheriff's Office said.

From BBC

Related Words

• avoid 
• bypass 
• circumvent 
• conceal 
• deceive 
• dodge 
• elude 
• escape 
• fend off www.thesaurus.com
• flee 
• get around 
• hide 
• sidestep