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escape

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noun

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb escape contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of escape are avoid, elude, eschew, evade, and shun. While all these words 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

When could avoid be used to replace escape?

The words avoid and escape can be used in similar contexts, but avoid stresses forethought and caution in keeping clear of danger or difficulty.

try to avoid past errors

When is it sensible to use elude instead of escape?

The words elude and escape are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, elude implies a slippery or baffling quality in the person or thing that escapes.

what she sees in him eludes me

When is eschew a more appropriate choice than escape?

While in some cases nearly identical to escape, eschew implies an avoiding or abstaining from as unwise or distasteful.

a playwright who eschews melodrama

When can evade be used instead of escape?

In some situations, the words evade and escape are roughly equivalent. However, evade implies adroitness, ingenuity, or lack of scruple in escaping or avoiding.

evaded the question by changing the subject

When would shun be a good substitute for escape?

The meanings of shun and escape largely overlap; however, 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 escape
Verb
The film takes place in today’s world as Detective Shay Williams (Union) and her partner Galpin (Colter) become trapped inside the Ursuline Convent with a motley group (including Castillo, Frewer and Lennon) when the Casket Girls escape from their attic prison for the first time in over 300 years. Matt Grobar, Deadline, 26 Feb. 2025 Russians seek escape from sanctions and the draft on Thailand’s Phuket Island. Ryan Fonseca, Los Angeles Times, 26 Feb. 2025
Noun
Driving the news: An official Steelers Fan Cruise was announced Monday, offering a six-day, five-night Caribbean cruise with former players aboard the Norwegian Escape ship. Ryan Deto, Axios, 24 Feb. 2025 However, Brown emphasized the importance of prioritizing play as an escape from traditional productivity and societal expectations, which allows people to let loose and have fun again. Julianna Bragg, CNN, 23 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for escape
Recent Examples of Synonyms for escape
Verb
  • By the late 1970s, hundreds of thousands of refugees had fled the country by boat and overland, flooding into Hong Kong and Thailand.
    Thomas Doherty, The Hollywood Reporter, 19 Feb. 2025
  • Context: Many of the displaced are descendants of refugees who were expelled or fled from their homes during the wars surrounding the creation of the state of Israel in 1948, a period known in Arabic as the Nakba.
    Natasha Frost, New York Times, 18 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • Colt escapes by initially driving a speedboat while facing away from the controls, evades his pursuers by zigging and zagging through the river, and then purposefully drives his boat into a floating pontoon, faking his own death via the gigantic explosion.
    Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 27 Feb. 2025
  • Now, however, DHS states that the previous rules hindered law enforcement efforts by creating sites where people without legal status could evade capture.
    Jackie Fortiér, NPR, 25 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • The aircraft made its first flight in 2008, but never realized commercial success.
    Daniel Cote, Robb Report, 19 Feb. 2025
  • The ticketed event features the company’s Strawberry White Russian, Tiki Rum Mai Tai and Tiki Gold Rum cocktails and a chocolate flight with milk chocolate hearts, dark chocolate espresso beans and white chocolate truffles.
    San Diego Union-Tribune, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • The Riverside County District Attorney's Office has also charged members of the ring, including Reyes and Diana Villa Pineda, with tax evasion.
    Dan Perry, Newsweek, 20 Feb. 2025
  • Savannah Chrisley is turning to President Donald Trump for help as her parents, Todd and Julie Chrisley, remain incarcerated after being convicted of federal bank fraud and tax evasion.
    Ashley Hume, Fox News, 20 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • Jack then tells Portia to not return to the White Lotus and wait for Tanya and to go to the airport and fly home instead.
    Lissete Lanuza Sáenz, StyleCaster, 25 Feb. 2025
  • Its feathers confirmed its ability to fly, albeit not with the grace of modern birds.
    Scott Travers, Forbes, 25 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • Unfortunately, Hartford continues to avoid the heavy lifting that is required to have a successful system.
    Vincent Turley, Hartford Courant, 2 Mar. 2025
  • To avoid any surprises, check the Maryland Park Service website for real-time updates.
    Trudy Haywood Saunders, Travel + Leisure, 2 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • San Marcos led 25-23 at the end of the first quarter, but Cathedral Catholic outscored the Knights 20-15 in the second quarter and led 43-40 at the break.
    John Maffei, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Feb. 2025
  • The geographic break corresponded with a pivot in the photographer’s work.
    Naomi Fry, The New Yorker, 22 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • Global Tax Reforms And Their Impact On IP Management The global tax landscape is undergoing significant reforms, driven by efforts to address tax avoidance and ensure fair taxation of digital and intangible assets.
    Joseph K. Hopkins, Forbes, 20 Feb. 2025
  • Other factors that Homendy mentioned were that the regional jet pilots appear to have received a warning from an onboard collision avoidance system.
    Zach Wichter, USA TODAY, 14 Feb. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Escape.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/escape. Accessed 5 Mar. 2025.

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