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| Main Entry: | |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | refrain or stay away from; prevent |
| Synonyms: | abstain, avert, bypass, circumlocute, circumvent, deflect, desist, ditch, divert, dodge, duck, elude, escape, eschew, evade, fake out, fend off, flee, give the slip, hide, hold off, jump, keep clear, lay low, obviate, recoil, run for cover, shake, shake and bake, shake off, shirk, shrink from, shuffle off, shun, shy, sidestep, skip out on, skip town, skip*, skirt, stay away, stay out, steer clear of, step aside, turn aside, ward off, weave, withdraw |
| Notes: | avert means 'prevent, turn away' and avoid means 'stay clear of, shun' |
| Antonyms: | face, meet, seek, want |
* = informal/non-formal usage
| Main Entry: | avert |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | thwart; avoid by turning away |
| Synonyms: | avoid, deflect, deter, divert, fend off, foil, forestall, frustrate, halt, look away, preclude, prevent, rule out, shove aside, shunt, stave off, turn, turn aside, turn away, ward off |
| Notes: | avert means 'prevent, turn away' and avoid means 'stay clear of, shun' overt means apparent or open to view or plain or public; avert means to prevent or turn away |
| Antonyms: | aid, help |
| Main Entry: | back out |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | withdraw |
| Synonyms: | avoid, back down, back pedal, beg off, blow it off, cancel, chicken out, cop out, get cold feet, give up, go back on, recant, renege, resign, scratch, shy from, surrender, throw in the towel, weasel out, welsh, wiggle out, worm out |
| Main Entry: | beware |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | be careful |
| Synonyms: | attend, avoid, be cautious, be wary, guard against, heed, keep eyes open, keep on one's toes, keep one's distance, look out, mind, mind p's and q's, notice, refrain from, shun, steer clear of, take care, take heed, walk on eggs, watch one's step, watch out |
| Antonyms: | court, invite, risk, take on |
| Main Entry: | boycott |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | ban; refrain from using |
| Synonyms: | avoid, bar, blackball, blacklist, brush off, cut off, embargo, exclude, hold aloof from, ice out, ostracize, outlaw, pass by, pass up, prohibit, proscribe, refuse, reject, shut out, snub, spurn, strike, withhold patronage |
| Notes: | a boycott is an organized popular protest, while an embargo is usually imposed by a government |
| Antonyms: | buy, encourage, support, use |
| Main Entry: | chicken out |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | back down |
| Synonyms: | avoid, back down, back out, back pedal, beg off, beg off, blow it off, bow out, cancel, chicken out, cop out, cop out, funk out, get cold feet, get cold feet, give up, give way, go back on, have no stomach for, make concessions, pull out, recant, renege, resign, scratch, shy from, surrender, throw in the towel, turn yellow, weasel out, welsh, wiggle out, wimp out, withdraw, worm out, worm out, yield |
| Main Entry: | circumvent |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | fool, mislead |
| Synonyms: | avoid, beat, beguile, bilk, bypass, circumnavigate, cramp, crimp, deceive, detour, disappoint, dodge, dupe, elude, ensnare, entrap, escape, evade, foil, frustrate, get around, hoodwink, outflank, outwit, overreach, prevent, queer, ruin, shun, sidestep, skirt, stave off, steer clear of, stump, stymie, thwart, trick, ward off |
| Notes: | circumnavigate means to proceed completely around while circumvent means to avoid or try to avoid fulfilling, answering, or performing duties, questions, or issues |
| Antonyms: | aid, allow, assist, help, permit |
| Main Entry: | decline |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | say no |
| Synonyms: | abjure, abstain, avoid, balk, beg to be excused, bypass, demur, deny, desist, disapprove, dismiss, don't buy, forbear, forgo, gainsay, nix, not accept, not hear of, not think of, pass on, refrain, refuse, reject, renounce, reprobate, repudiate, send regrets, shy, spurn, turn down, turn thumbs down |
| Notes: | one declines (or accepts) something that is offered; one refuses (or agrees) to accept something offered |
| Antonyms: | accept, say yes |
| Main Entry: | desist |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | stop, refrain from |
| Synonyms: | abandon, abstain, avoid, break off, cease, discontinue, end, forbear, give over, give up, halt, have done with, knock off, leave off, not do, pause, quit, relinquish, resign, surcease, suspend, yield |
| Antonyms: | carry on, continue, endure, go on, keep on, persevere, restart, resume |
Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition
Copyright © 2013 by the Philip Lief Group.
Cite This Source
Copyright © 2013 by the Philip Lief Group.
Cite This Source
Copyright © 2013 Dictionary.com, LLC. All rights reserved.
