DODGING Synonyms: 94 Similar and Opposite Words

dodging 1 of 2

noun

as in escape

the act or a means of getting or keeping away from something undesirable the governor's repeated dodging of tough questions at the press conference

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

dodging

2 of 2

verb

present participle of dodge

as in ducking

to move suddenly aside or to and fro dodging through the crowd on his way to the exit

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as in circumventing

to avoid having to comply with (something) especially through cleverness always trying to dodge the landlord's rule prohibiting pets

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in avoiding

to get or keep away from (as a responsibility) through cleverness or trickery dodged the horde of paparazzi by leaving through the service entrance

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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 dodging

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, 23 July 2026 Not everyone wants to spend the Fourth dodging booms. — Melissa Oyler, Charlotte Observer, 26 June 2026 Ditching grass and dodging HOAs, some homeowners are opting for native lawns. — Joe Mutascio, IndyStar, 8 June 2026 When McKenzie asks him how much he’s contributed to the coffers of politicians, his dodging of the question is pure dissembling theater. — Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 20 Apr. 2026 Furthermore, the Ukrainian army is short-handed, facing around 200,000 troop desertions and draft-dodging by around 2 million people, Fedorov said in January. — Kirsten Grieshaber, Los Angeles Times, 14 Apr. 2026 Starter Seth Lugo pitched four strong innings, including artful dodging of traffic in the second, and the bullpen stranded seven Colombia base runners the rest of the way. — Maria Torres, New York Times, 7 Mar. 2026 All combat is close combat, made harder by the fact that running and dodging depletes Shimizu’s stamina quite quickly, leaving her too exhausted to run through maze-like streets and alleyways, or fight off whatever horrible thing is waiting around the next corner. — Richard Newby, Time, 6 Dec. 2025

Verb

He's accused the Democrat of dodging questions about his own record and trying to distract voters with personal attacks. — AJC.com, 9 Oct. 2026 As the car drives on while dodging a series of explosions, a seemingly endless number of terrorists armed with automatic weapons shoot at it to no avail. — Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 7 Oct. 2026 Video taken in cities including Paris, Lyon and Strasbourg showed demonstrators facing off with police, lighting fires and dodging tear gas. — Greg Norman-Diamond, FOXNews.com, 6 Oct. 2026 That’s three straight victories of Watson dodging defenders to lead fourth-quarter scoring drives and a rugged defense making opponents work for every throw. — Zac Jackson, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2026 Coding a malicious program that steals private data while dodging detection by antivirus tools is hard. — Neil J. Rubenking, PC Magazine, 30 Sep. 2026 In the mid-70s, Stallone was a struggling actor, only landing gigs in shady erotic movies and dodging ever-piling bills, made even more pressing by the upcoming arrival of his first child. — Rafa Sales Ross, Variety, 26 Sep. 2026 If teachers unions put as much effort into improving test scores as dodging accountability, students in New York’s public schools would have markedly better chances for success in life. — Editorial Board, Washington Post, 20 Sep. 2026 First released in arcades in 1999, the game puts players behind the wheel of a fearless cabbie racing the clock through chaotic city streets — flying off ramps, dodging traffic, and chasing tips with punk-rock energy. — Matt Grobar, Deadline, 14 Sep. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for dodging

Noun

In the newer buildings—built in the same style as the original house—some accommodations feature a private pool and garden area, which is the perfect space for a small family, bridal suite, or honeymoon escape.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 13 Oct. 2026
The burglars dropped the other two paintings—the 1895 Portrait of Madame Pichon and the 1905 Coco Lisant—in the garden of the museum while making their escape.

— News Desk, Artforum, 12 Oct. 2026

Definition of escape

Verb

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

Definition of ducking

Verb

The then-head of the bank also was arrested for allegedly circumventing procedures in releasing the money to the charity.

— ABC News, ABC News, 7 Oct. 2026
Fragmentation has allowed many powerful figures to get their message across by circumventing traditional media outlets whose questions many CEOs and politicians don’t want to answer.

— Max Tani, semafor.com, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of circumventing

Verb

Her style is pithy and blunt, avoiding the ornate sentence structure of classical German.

— Alex Ross, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026
However early the experiment might be, the launch is a milestone for an emerging technology that has the potential to help meet AI’s growing demand for compute while avoiding the constraints on resources like power, water, and land on Earth.

— Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune, 10 Oct. 2026

Definition of avoiding

Verb

On a recent Sunday afternoon, shoppers crowded the aisles at Tri Ocean Seafood Market on South Federal Boulevard, weaving around carts piled high with dragon fruit, Thai bananas and bundles of fresh herbs.

— Sara Rosenthal, Denver Post, 11 Oct. 2026
That is exactly the challenge facing Apple, where Tim Cook’s extraordinary run was defined by operational mastery—building upon iPhone’s dominance while weaving an extraordinarily profitable global ecosystem of products, services, and retail.

— Alyson Shontell, Fortune, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of weaving

Verb

Tankers have undertaken ship-to-ship transfers as a means of evading possible attack.

— ABC News, ABC News, 8 Oct. 2026
In March, Fedorov said about 2 million Ukrainian men were evading service, while about 200,000 soldiers had deserted or left their units without authorization.

— Samya Kullab, Los Angeles Times, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of evading

Verb

Paola Nicolaides was 12 years old in 1974, when her family fled their home in the capital, Nicosia, escaping the invading Turkish army.

— Deepa Fernandes, STAT, 8 Oct. 2026
After escaping from slavery in Kentucky, Allensworth joined the Civil War on the Union side, becoming a chaplain and rising to the rank of Colonel.

— Anne Ewbank, Sacbee.com, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of escaping

Browse Nearby Words

dodginess

dodging

dodgy

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Style

“Dodging.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dodging. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of dodging

noun

verb

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