verb

evade

ih-VAYD

verb

To cleverly avoid or escape something, such as a person, question, or duty.

"He evaded the reporter's question with a joke."

"The suspect evaded police for three days."

How to Use Evade

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishTo dodge or slip away from something using cleverness rather than force.

Common mistake

Evade means to avoid through cunning; avoid is more neutral and doesn't imply trickery.

Easily confused with

avoid → invade →

Common pairings

evade taxes evade capture evade the question

evaded past tense, evades singular

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He _____ the reporter's question with a joke.

From Latin ēvādō, "to go out or escape" — from ē- ("out of") + vādō ("to go, walk"), related to wade.

equivocate shuffle dodge end-run sidestep give the go-by give someone the runaround

avoid cunning dodgy dodge shuffle

Ade made jade wade fade sade Bade Cade Dade trade blade spade

equivocate shuffle dodge end-run sidestep give the go-by give someone the runaround avoid cunning dodgy