avoid

PICTURES

to prevent sth bad from happening: [VN] The accident could have been avoided. ◆ They narrowly avoided defeat in the semi-final. ◆ The name was changed to avoid confusion with another firm. ◆ [VN -ing] They built a wall to avoid soil being washed away.
to keep away from sb/sth; to try not to do sth: [VN] He's been avoiding me all week. ◆ She kept avoiding my eyes (= avoided looking at me). ◆ I left early to avoid the rush hour. ◆ [V -ing] I've been avoiding getting down to work all day. ◆ You should avoid mentioning his divorce.
[VN] to prevent yourself from hitting sth: I had to swerve to avoid a cat.
Idioms: avoid sb/sth like the plague (informal) to try very hard not to meet sb, do sth, etc: She's been avoiding me like the plague since the party last Saturday.
more at TRAP n.

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