ELUDE Synonyms: 54 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the verb 'elude' contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of elude are avoid , escape , eschew , evade , and shun . While all these words mean "to get away or keep away from something," elude implies a slippery or baffling quality in the person or thing that escapes. // what she sees in him eludes me

Q: When can 'avoid' be used instead of 'elude'?

While the synonyms avoid and elude are close in meaning, avoid stresses forethought and caution in keeping clear of danger or difficulty. // try to avoid past errors

Q: When would 'escape' be a good substitute for 'elude'?

In some situations, the words escape and elude are roughly equivalent. However, escape stresses the fact of getting away or being passed by not necessarily through effort or by conscious intent. // nothing escapes her sharp eyes

Q: Where would 'eschew' be a reasonable alternative to 'elude'?

Although the words eschew and elude have much in common, eschew implies an avoiding or abstaining from as unwise or distasteful. // a playwright who eschews melodrama

Q: When is 'evade' a more appropriate choice than 'elude'?

The synonyms evade and elude are sometimes interchangeable, but evade implies adroitness, ingenuity, or lack of scruple in escaping or avoiding. // evaded the question by changing the subject

Q: When could 'shun' be used to replace 'elude'?

While in some cases nearly identical to elude , shun often implies an avoiding as a matter of habitual practice or policy and may imply repugnance or abhorrence. // you have shunned your responsibilities

elude

verb

ē-ˈlüd

Definition of elude

as in to evade

to get or keep away from (as a responsibility) through cleverness or trickery the millionaire had been eluding his fair share of taxes for years before getting caught

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How does the verb elude contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of elude are avoid, escape, eschew, evade, and shun. While all these words mean "to get away or keep away from something," elude implies a slippery or baffling quality in the person or thing that escapes.

what she sees in him eludes me

When can avoid be used instead of elude?

While the synonyms avoid and elude are close in meaning, avoid stresses forethought and caution in keeping clear of danger or difficulty.

try to avoid past errors

When would escape be a good substitute for elude?

In some situations, the words escape and elude are roughly equivalent. However, escape stresses the fact of getting away or being passed by not necessarily through effort or by conscious intent.

nothing escapes her sharp eyes

Where would eschew be a reasonable alternative to elude?

Although the words eschew and elude have much in common, eschew implies an avoiding or abstaining from as unwise or distasteful.

a playwright who eschews melodrama

When is evade a more appropriate choice than elude?

The synonyms evade and elude are sometimes interchangeable, but evade implies adroitness, ingenuity, or lack of scruple in escaping or avoiding.

evaded the question by changing the subject

When could shun be used to replace elude?

While in some cases nearly identical to elude, shun often implies an avoiding as a matter of habitual practice or policy and may imply repugnance or abhorrence.

you have shunned your responsibilities

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 elude Yet Luna, a Jack Russell terrier from California, has eluded capture. — ABC News, 14 Oct. 2026 The prize eluded him, but there is a bust of Sasakawa at the World Health Organization, in Geneva. — Ian Buruma, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026 Several people have been charged in connection with the bust, but whoever oversaw the network has so far managed to elude arrest. — Matthew Ormseth, Los Angeles Times, 8 Oct. 2026 But when a patient recognizes him from his dangerous past, Brown has eight hours to elude the government, mob hitmen, quack surgeons, and a trail of dead gangsters to somehow beat the reaper. — Denise Petski, Deadline, 6 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for elude

Recent Examples of Synonyms for elude

Verb

But not all Chicagoans have the luxury of adjusting their schedules to evade the darkness, said Gina Scaletta, who has been walking dogs for more than a decade.

— Lila Hempel-Edgers, Chicago Tribune, 27 Oct. 2026
Adding items mid-meeting is permissible in emergencies, plaintiffs say, but not as means to evade public notice requirements.

— ABC News, ABC News, 27 Oct. 2026

Definition of evade

Verb

Jaros and Rauh also try to account for the uncertainty over whether taxes can be collected from other billionaires, such as the ones who have left since the beginning of the year and may thus have a legal case for escaping the tax.

— Ramesh Ponnuru, Washington Post, 27 Oct. 2026
Arbella escaped, disguised as a man in a wig, boots and sword, with plans to flee to France with her ill-begotten husband.

— Eva Wolchover, Vanity Fair, 27 Oct. 2026

Definition of escape

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elucidative

elude

eluded

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“Elude.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/elude. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of elude

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