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View synonyms for avoid

avoid

[ uh-void ]

verb (used with object)

  1. to keep away from; keep clear of; shun:

    to avoid a person;

    to avoid taxes;

    to avoid danger.

    Synonyms: dodge, elude, evade

    Antonyms: encounter, face, confront

  2. to prevent from happening:

    to avoid falling.

  3. Law. to make void or of no effect; invalidate.
  4. Obsolete. to empty; eject or expel.


avoid

/ əˈvɔɪd /

verb

  1. to keep out of the way of
  2. to refrain from doing
  3. to prevent from happening

    to avoid damage to machinery

  4. law to make (a plea, contract, etc) void; invalidate; quash
  5. obsolete.
    to expel
  6. obsolete.
    to depart from
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Derived Forms

  • aˈvoidably, adverb
  • aˈvoidable, adjective
  • aˈvoider, noun
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Other Words From

  • a·voida·ble adjective
  • a·voida·bly adverb
  • a·voider noun
  • nona·voida·ble adjective
  • nona·voida·ble·ness noun
  • nona·voida·bly adverb
  • una·voiding adjective
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Word History and Origins

Origin of avoid1

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English avoiden, from Anglo-French avoider, equivalent to a- 4( def ) + void ( def )
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Word History and Origins

Origin of avoid1

C14: from Anglo-French avoider, from Old French esvuidier, from vuidier to empty, void
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Synonym Study

Avoid, escape mean to come through a potentially harmful or unpleasant experience, without suffering serious consequences. To avoid is to succeed in keeping away from something dangerous or undesirable: to avoid meeting an enemy. Escape suggests encountering peril but coming through it safely: to escape drowning.
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Example Sentences

There is even a cruise line offering four-year trips to people looking to avoid a second Trump term on the mainland.

From Salon

But he added: “What we successfully avoided, was an overall rationing - to say, 'people, according to these characteristics, aren’t going to be cared for'.”

From BBC

On the one hand, enough copper ions must be on hand; on the other, the concentration of free copper ions in the cytoplasm must be kept very low to avoid undesired side effects.

Given the complexity of the EZH2 pathway, achieving a careful balance is essential to avoid reversing treatment benefits.

He had successfully avoided injury for 10 games, but a flu outbreak that swept through USC’s locker room late last week didn’t spare the senior back.

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Avogadro's numberavoidance