elude

verb

ē-ˈlüd 

eluded; eluding

transitive verb

1

: to avoid adroitly : evade

the mice eluded the traps

managed to elude capture

2

: to escape the perception, understanding, or grasp of

subtlety simply eludes them

victory continued to elude us

3

: defy sense 2

it eludes explanation

Synonyms

• avoid
• dodge
• duck
• escape
• eschew
• evade
• finesse
• get around
• scape
• shake
• shirk
• shuffle (out of)
• shun
• weasel (out of)

Choose the Right Synonym for elude

escape, avoid, evade, elude, shun, eschew mean to get away or keep away from something.

escape stresses the fact of getting away or being passed by not necessarily through effort or by conscious intent.

nothing escapes her sharp eyes

avoid stresses forethought and caution in keeping clear of danger or difficulty.

try to avoid past errors

evade implies adroitness, ingenuity, or lack of scruple in escaping or avoiding.

evaded the question by changing the subject

elude implies a slippery or baffling quality in the person or thing that escapes.

what she sees in him eludes me

shun often implies an avoiding as a matter of habitual practice or policy and may imply repugnance or abhorrence.

you have shunned your responsibilities

eschew implies an avoiding or abstaining from as unwise or distasteful.

a playwright who eschews melodrama

Examples of elude in a Sentence

The killer was able to elude the police.

The killer has eluded capture.

The cause of the disease continues to elude researchers.

Recent Examples on the Web

With the Penguins leading 1-0 in the third period on Sunday in St. Paul, Crosby’s fluttering shot from the left circle just eluded Fleury’s glove and ended up as the game-winner. —Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 10 Mar. 2025

On April 5, as customs inspectors and anti-drug police began clearing the cargo at the port, a customs supervisor tried to elude the inspection by asking for Diamortino’s merchandise. —Jay Weaver, Miami Herald, 5 Mar. 2025

But a State Open championship had eluded the East Hartford wrestler. —Lori Riley, Hartford Courant, 1 Mar. 2025

The first step, Cranmer said, is equipping the model with the scientific skills that still elude most state-of-the-art AI systems. —John Pavlus, Quanta Magazine, 28 Feb. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Latin eludere, from e- + ludere to play — more at ludicrous

First Known Use

1667, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing elude

• elude someone's grasp

Rhymes for elude

• accrued
• allude
• collude
• conclude
• construed
• debuted
• delude
• endued
• ensued
• eschewed
• etude
• exclude

Kids Definition

elude

verb

ē-ˈlüd 

eluded; eluding

1

: to avoid or escape by being quick, skillful, or tricky

2

: to escape the understanding or grasp of

the explanation eludes me