DUCKING Synonyms: 98 Similar and Opposite Words

ducking 1 of 2

noun

as in escape

the act or a means of getting or keeping away from something undesirable the disgraceful ducking of your duties to your family

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

ducking

2 of 2

verb

present participle of duck

as in avoiding

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

as in weaving

to move suddenly aside or to and fro duck behind a pillar before they see us

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in dipping

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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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 ducking

Noun

Body-camera video released after the July 6, 2024, shooting showed Massey ducking and apologizing moments before Grayson fired three shots inside the home. — Greg Wehner, FOXNews.com, 24 Aug. 2026 Another man, not involved in the shooting, was seen on video ducking behind his vehicle for cover. — Tara Lynch, CBS News, 22 May 2026 Or tie scolds to the ducking stool again. — Annie Lowrey, The Atlantic, 28 Apr. 2026 Automatic ducking doesn't add quacks to your soundtrack. — PC Magazine, 15 Nov. 2025 In true TikTok style, however, the song gets a comedic twist in the goofy ducking-out scenario. — Leslie Katz, Forbes.com, 13 Aug. 2025 What's your take on this Jeep 'ducking' trend? — Morgan Korn, ABC News, 10 Aug. 2025 Student leaders, administrators and co-principal Lorena Moreno formed a welcome tunnel near the gate, cheering as students entered — some ducking past the fanfare and others stopping for hugs and greetings. — Hanna Kang, Oc Register, 6 Aug. 2025

Verb

Lastly, try ducking into Casey Rubber Stamps, founded in 1979, in the West Village, and a neighborhood fixture since 2003. — The New Yorker, New Yorker, 16 Oct. 2026 The system lets robots choose suitable movements, such as stepping over objects, ducking under overhead barriers, or turning sideways to pass through narrow gaps. — Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 13 Oct. 2026 Meanwhile, Cooper is in Palm Springs, ducking the Better Business Bureau and reluctantly participating in his daughter’s documentary about his upbringing. — Ryan Chapman, Literary Hub, 30 Sep. 2026 And who will have to settle for simply drinking out of a coconut or ducking under stuff? — Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Sep. 2026 Deputies quickly detained Mendiola after witnesses, who were ducking for cover, pointed him out. — Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 25 Sep. 2026 Paxton has so far failed to hold large campaign events and is ducking debates. — Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 28 Aug. 2026 Store employees are seen ducking for cover as more shots are fired. — Aziza Shuler, CBS News, 25 Aug. 2026 The masked person, carrying a distinctive blue plaid backpack, was last seen ducking into the SEPTA metro train’s Suburban Station. — David K. Li, NBC news, 20 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for ducking

Noun

Lisa lets a dolphin named Snorky escape from Marine World after seeing his trainers taunt him for the amusement of slack-jawed yokels.

— Joshua Kurp, Vulture, 26 Oct. 2026
Southwest Airlines will add 11 new nonstop international routes to its schedule beginning in November, giving travelers more options for their next tropical escape.

— Sadie Chafe, FOXNews.com, 25 Oct. 2026

Definition of escape

Verb

Kushner so far has participated little in the ceremony of the job, avoiding most receptions and ribbon cuttings.

— Lauren Collins, New Yorker, 26 Oct. 2026
Exercise, avoiding alcohol or even getting enough sleep aren’t the factors most connected to college students’ well-being.

— Roxanne Prichard, The Conversation, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of avoiding

Verb

Combat sequences, set in the Pacific theater and filmed in Australia, look expansive and authentic, weaving around hundreds of soldiers running and shouting and shooting at once.

— Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 23 Oct. 2026
The process was particularly intricate, as each interlacing detail on the bodice had to be carefully constructed by weaving hundreds of meters of rouleau and while maintaining the tension and precision of the corsetry underneath.

— Shelby Wax, Vogue, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of weaving

Verb

Thursday night might be the coolest of the week, with temperatures in some areas of South Florida dipping to around 71.

— Miami Herald Staff Report, Miami Herald, 19 Oct. 2026
Try black vinegar in dipping sauces for scallion pancakes, splashed into a cabbage stir-fry or Black Vinegar Chicken With Radishes, or whisked into a punchy dressing.

— Emily Saladino, Bon Appetit Magazine, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of dipping

Noun

China appears to be the main culprit behind the tariff dodging, processing exports through more than 40 other countries, according to the report.

— Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 14 Aug. 2026
Many Londoners have firsthand experience of phone-snatching or have witnessed a surge in shoplifting and subway fare-dodging.

— ABC News, ABC News, 23 July 2026

Definition of dodging

Verb

He was also convicted of felony evading arrest, KTXS reported.

— Christine Pelisek, PEOPLE, 21 Oct. 2026
The risks are already visible in models that deploy agents capable of evading their guardrails, escaping their sandboxes, cheating to obtain their goals, and covering their tracks to conceal the cheating.

— NIALL FERGUSON, Foreign Affairs, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of evading

Noun

Chiu was convicted of murder, second-degree robbery, assault with a firearm and reckless evasion of police.

— Rosalio Ahumada, Sacbee.com, 23 Oct. 2026
The Department of Justice (DOJ) maintains that the restriction is a legitimate tool for preventing tax evasion and protecting federal revenue.

— Peter Burke, FOXNews.com, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of evasion

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ducked

ducking

ducks

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Style

“Ducking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ducking. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of ducking

noun

verb

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