elude

[ih-lood] / ɪˈlud /

VERB

avoid; escape

Synonyms

STRONGEST

baffle confound dodge evade flee foil frustrate outrun outwit puzzle shun stall stonewall thwart

STRONG

bilk circumvent ditch double duck eschew fly shirk shuck shy stump

WEAK

be beyond someone beat around the bush cop out get around get away from give the runaround give the slip give wide berth to hem and haw not touch pass the buck pass up run around stay shy of steer clear of

Antonyms

STRONGEST

abet aid assist clarify clear up encourage enlighten explain face help meet support

WEAK

attract confront encounter entice invite take on

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

After disappearing in 1993, Messina Denaro managed to elude authorities for the next 30 years as the Italian state cracked down on the Sicilian mob.

From Barron's • May 28, 2026

But for reasons that still elude scientists, this arrangement falls apart when seawater warms too much and the algae leave or are expelled.

From Barron's • May 22, 2026

High-speed trains, and pretty much any mass transportation improvement, continue to elude the United States, but one can experience them elsewhere.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 14, 2026

Answers elude the watchful girl even as Ms. Keegan illuminates each telling detail of the land, of farm life and of adult ways.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 9, 2026

After the dance, he’d attempt to find me, but I’d elude him.

From "Ella Enchanted" by Gail Carson Levine

Vocabulary lists containing elude

The Vocabulary.com Top 1000

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The Outsiders

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Grade 9, List 1

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