1
as in to avoid
to get or keep away from (as a responsibility) through cleverness or trickery
you always try to shirk paying your fair share of the bill by claiming you "forgot" your wallet
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2
as in to neglect
to leave undone or unattended to especially through carelessness
a deadbeat who has been shirking his duty to his family for years
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3
as in to lurk
to move about in a sly or secret manner
given the multitude of auditoriums at the multiplex, it's not too difficult for underaged kids to shirk into R-rated movies
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Examples of shirk in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Patagonia, founded by California surfer and environmental activist Yvon Chouinard, has long sought to make wetsuits more eco-friendly by shirking traditional neoprene (traditionally derived from crude oil or limestone) in favor of more sustainable materials.
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Brent Rose, Outside Online, 12 July 2024
Netflix The Boyfriend, on the other hand, shirks these norms.
—Michael Cuby, Them, 19 July 2024
The only way to change this is to impose real consequences for shirking spending commitments.
—Marc A. Thiessen, Washington Post, 8 July 2024
The secrecy around Brussels’ plans for Agadez indicates that Europe is shirking that challenge.
—Sebastian Elischer, Foreign Affairs, 15 Sep. 2015
See all Example Sentences for shirk 
Brent Rose, Outside Online, 12 July 2024
Netflix The Boyfriend, on the other hand, shirks these norms.
—Michael Cuby, Them, 19 July 2024
The only way to change this is to impose real consequences for shirking spending commitments.
—Marc A. Thiessen, Washington Post, 8 July 2024
The secrecy around Brussels’ plans for Agadez indicates that Europe is shirking that challenge.
—Sebastian Elischer, Foreign Affairs, 15 Sep. 2015
See all Example Sentences for shirk
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'shirk.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Shirk.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shirk. Accessed 18 Sep. 2024.
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