1
as in to avoid
to get or keep away from (as a responsibility) through cleverness or trickery
don't try to duck your commitment to spending Thanksgiving with your family by claiming you have to work
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in person
a member of the human race
her coworkers regard her as something of an odd duck
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of duck
Bethy Squires, Vulture, 26 Apr. 2026
Some 2,600 guests packed into the ballroom at the Washington Hilton, hitting the floor, ducking under tables.
—ABC News, 26 Apr. 2026
Andrea Castillo, Los Angeles Times, 26 Apr. 2026
No roosters or drake ducks are allowed, and residents must apply for licensing, reapply every five years, maintain coop upkeep and be within the size guideline.
—Talia McWright, Twin Cities, 26 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for duck
Verb
The man filmed casually eating a salad as everyone else ducked for cover after shots rang out at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner is speaking out.
—Bethy Squires, Vulture, 26 Apr. 2026
Some 2,600 guests packed into the ballroom at the Washington Hilton, hitting the floor, ducking under tables.
—ABC News, 26 Apr. 2026
Noun
The reporters did not hear the gunshots, but watched as the room fell silent and others began to drop from their seats and duck under the floor-length white tablecloths.
—Andrea Castillo, Los Angeles Times, 26 Apr. 2026
No roosters or drake ducks are allowed, and residents must apply for licensing, reapply every five years, maintain coop upkeep and be within the size guideline.
—Talia McWright, Twin Cities, 26 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for duck
Recent Examples of Synonyms for duck
Verb
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Players and coaches have become maddeningly mealy-mouthed, striving to avoid upsetting agents, sponsors, owners, fans, thin-skinned politicians, and whoever else might object.—
Charles Bethea,
New Yorker,
26 Apr. 2026
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Councilmember Ysabel Jurado, who sits on the Housing and Homelessness Committee, said Friday the recommendations are intended to better align the city’s homelessness response with local needs while avoiding service disruptions and improving long-term coordination.—
Teresa Liu,
Daily News,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
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But where limestone is crumbly and opaque, nacre’s toughness and light-bending properties come from silklike proteins that weave among the layers, holding them in place while providing enough elasticity to absorb the shock of a fracture.—
Caitlin Kennedy,
Scientific American,
25 Apr. 2026
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Never tested in orbit, NASA’s robot could, in theory, perform tasks like weaving solar power stations and antennae in space from spools of carbon fiber.—
Christopher McFadden,
Interesting Engineering,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Especially considering dipping into the 2027 draft class, which is projected to be stronger than this year’s.—
Charlotte Carroll,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2026
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But Tolentino is hardly the only person to ever dip a toe into shoplifting at Whole Foods.—
Sam Stone,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The document offers the most detailed account yet of the missing person’s investigation that culminated on Friday with the discovery of Limon’s body in a set of black trash bags discarded along the Howard Frankland Bridge.—
Dan Sullivan,
The Orlando Sentinel,
27 Apr. 2026
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Murmurs of possible tactics abound—including more talk within the administration of the DPA after Anthropic’s Mythos announcement, one person with knowledge of such discussions told us.—
Matteo Wong,
The Atlantic,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Kelsy dispossessed San Diego in its defensive third, cut back to evade a defender at the edge of the penalty area, and skipped a shot inside the near post to give the Timbers (3-5-1) a 1-0 lead in the 26th minute.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
26 Apr. 2026
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Garcia sprinted off exiting through a side entrance and evaded authorities until cops nabbed him on March 25, 2026.—
Emma Seiwell,
New York Daily News,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Dodge, duck, dip, dive and dodge Edge rusher Anthony Smith led the Big Ten with 12 1/2 sacks last season.—
Andy Greder,
Twin Cities,
30 Apr. 2026
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During her Senate hearing, Means dodged some questions about those stances.—
Brennan Leach,
NBC news,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Stick to trying to dunk a basketball while skydiving, boys.—
Austin Perry OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
24 Apr. 2026
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For a bolder approach, try dunking your face in a bowl of ice water.—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Kansas City Star,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The two men were too far away to be heard by reporters, and television cameras did not pick up the audio.—
Kathryn Palmer,
USA Today,
28 Apr. 2026
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Despite his team’s steady slide in the standings, Flagg kept making history a year after leading Duke to the Final Four as just the fourth freshman to be named AP men’s basketball player of the year.—
Schuyler Dixon,
Chicago Tribune,
28 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Duck.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/duck. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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