evade

[ ih-veyd ]

verb (used with object)

, e·vad·ed, e·vad·ing.

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)

, e·vad·ed, e·vad·ing.

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)

Derived Forms

• eˈvadable, adjective
• eˈvadingly, adverb
• eˈvader, noun

Other Words From

• e·vada·ble e·vadi·ble adjective
• e·vader noun
• e·vading·ly adverb
• none·vada·ble adjective
• none·vadi·ble adjective
• none·vading adjective
• none·vading·ly adverb
• pree·vade verb (used with object) preevaded preevading
• une·vada·ble adjective
• une·vaded adjective
• une·vadi·ble adjective
• une·vading 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

Ultimately, to point fingers at others is to evade self-examination about how we got here as a nation.

From Salon

Carr posted on X that Harris's appearance was a "clear and blatant effort to evade the FCC's Equal Time rule."

From Salon

Even in that case, though, Trump may evade accountability, as the sentencing was delayed from June to mid-September to Nov. 26 in response to the Supreme Court’s immunity ruling.

From Slate

Trump’s Department of Justice, under Attorney General William Barr, swept the entire matter under the rug without an investigation, and Trump’s allies in the Senate helped him evade a single witness testifying at trial.

From Slate

Brendan Carr, a Republican member of the Federal Communications Commission media regulatory agency's five-person board, slammed the move as "a clear and blatant effort to evade" its equal time rule.

From BBC

Related Words

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