verb

evade

ih-VAYD/ɪˈveɪd/

To escape or avoid facing someone or something.

The player evades the outstretched hand by sidestepping around the tree.

A young adult playing a friendly outdoor game of tag swiftly sidesteps around a tree trunk, cleverly evading the outstretched tagging hand of another adult, both fully clothed and smiling.

Etymology

To evade was literally to go away or escape. That physical image also came to cover escaping by trickery, connecting movement out of reach with clever avoidance.

In context

Enhanced Public Domain176:13

no one should leave in order to evade his duty and relieve himself from serving his country at a moment when it needs him flight in that case would be criminal and punishable

1700s Philosophy Audiobook • Jean-Jacques Rousseau - The Social Contract

More examples

She evades the question by changing the subject.
The company tries to evade responsibility for the damage.
The rabbit evaded the dog by slipping under a fence.

Forms

evade · evades · evaded · evading

evasion noun — The act of avoiding capture or responsibility.

evasive adjective — Avoiding direct answers or difficult situations.

Similar words

avoid: Means staying away, without necessarily suggesting cleverness or trickery.
escape: Emphasizes getting free from danger, confinement, or an unpleasant situation.
elude: Emphasizes successfully avoiding capture or detection, often through skill.