dodge
verb (used with object)
to elude or evade by a sudden shift of position or by strategy.
dodge
1 American
[doj]
/ dɒdʒ /
verb (used with object)
-
dodges,
present (3rd person singular)
-
dodged,
past participle, past
-
dodging
present participle
-
to elude or evade by a sudden shift of position or by strategy.
to dodge a blow; to dodge a question.
- Synonyms:
- avoid
-
Photography. Also hold back. (in printing) to shade (an area of a print) from exposure for a period, while exposing the remainder of the print in order to lighten or eliminate the area (sometimes followed byout ).
verb (used without object)
-
dodges,
present (3rd person singular)
-
dodged,
past participle, past
-
dodging
present participle
-
to move aside or change position suddenly, as to avoid a blow or get behind something.
-
to use evasive methods; prevaricate.
When asked a direct question, he dodges.
- Synonyms:
- quibble, equivocate
noun
-
dodges
plural
-
a quick, evasive movement, as a sudden jump away to avoid a blow or the like.
-
an ingenious expedient or contrivance; shifty trick.
-
Slang. a business, profession, or occupation.
Dodge
2
American
[doj]
/ dɒdʒ /
noun
dodge
British
/ dɒdʒ /
verb
-
to avoid or attempt to avoid (a blow, discovery, etc), as by moving suddenly
-
to evade (questions, etc) by cleverness or trickery
-
(intr) Leisure:Bell-ringing to make a bell change places with its neighbour when sounding in successive changes
-
(tr) photog to lighten or darken (selected areas on a print) by manipulating the light from an enlarger
noun
-
a plan or expedient contrived to deceive
-
a sudden evasive or hiding movement
-
a clever contrivance
-
Leisure:Bell-ringing the act of dodging
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
dodgesimple
-
dodgessimple
-
have dodgedperfect
-
has dodgedperfect
-
am dodgingprogressive
-
are dodgingprogressive
-
is dodgingprogressive
-
have been dodgingperfect progressive
-
has been dodgingperfect progressive
Past
-
dodgedsimple
-
had dodgedperfect
-
was dodgingprogressive
-
were dodgingprogressive
-
had been dodgingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of dodge
First recorded in 1560–70; of obscure origin
Explanation
To dodge something is to avoid it. In dodge ball, players dodge the balls being thrown at them. Dodging is making quick, sudden movements, usually to avoid something. You have to move quickly to dodge a flower pot that's falling from a ledge. In football, running backs are good at dodging defensive players. Politicians do a lot of maneuvers and manipulations to dodge blame, and plenty of people dodge responsibility for something they're supposed to take care of. So any kind of evasion strategy is a dodge.
Vocabulary lists containing dodge
"LAFFF"
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Things Not Seen
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Unknown Origins
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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.
See Examples For:
After attempting to dodge the question several times, he said “no.”
From Salon ● Aug. 7, 2026
Domestic workers, labourers and other pedestrians routinely dodge speeding traffic, and many are killed trying to cross.
From BBC ● Aug. 6, 2026
In March, Chinese authorities banned entombing cremated remains in empty apartments, a practice that took off as mourners tried to dodge rising funeral costs.
From Barron's ● Jul. 15, 2026
Former candidate Tom Steyer of San Francisco answered with a dodge or a dose of realism, depending on your view.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 23, 2026
I say, trying to dodge the seriousness of this conversation.
From "Five Feet Apart" by Rachael Lippincott
The mechanic would often help repair the show’s signature vehicle, an orange 1969 Dodge Charger known as General Lee.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 2026
Stephen Galloway, dean of Chapman University’s Dodge College of Film and Media Arts and the former executive editor of the Hollywood Reporter, sees Tilly occupying an uncomfortable middle ground.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 13, 2026
Gone are the days when buyers could choose from an array of compact, low-price trucks like the Chevrolet S-10 or the Dodge Ram 50.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 29, 2026
Advertisers included Bud Light, Polymarket, Crypto.com, and Dodge RAM trucks, each stamping its logo on the night.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 15, 2026
Elves race around the pine in miniature Dodge sedans.
From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides
His signature artworks often appear without warning, sparking global conversation, but the culprit quietly dodges the limelight.
From BBC ● Mar. 18, 2026
A further risk for Ms. Spanberger is that her dodges contribute to a wider perception that she lacks candor.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 13, 2025
What’s more, if the candidates are unwilling to say anything new and provocative from day to day, the media, to the extent they cover them at all, will focus on their misstatements and artless dodges.
From Salon ● Oct. 22, 2024
Another way Silver dodges graphic content is by staying off social media.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 19, 2024
He came to understand its dodges and tricks, and to accept it as it was.
From "The Alchemist" by Paulo Coelho
These experiences came to mind while hearing Danny take on a yet-to-be-previously attempted vampire voice as he dodged dirty looks and jettisoned drinkware.
From Salon ● Jul. 31, 2026
Investors may have dodged the most significant bullet on June 5, when Standard & Poor’s opted not to change its index-listing rules for any of its market indices.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 9, 2026
It dodged capture despite efforts by hunters and responders equipped with traps and anaesthetic guns, and escaped late Wednesday.
From Barron's ● Jun. 5, 2026
Swift previously described how her record-breaking Eras Tour had narrowly "dodged a massacre situation".
From BBC ● May 28, 2026
But again, Lucy dodged out of the way.
From "The Missing Mitt (The Hardy Boys: Secret Files, #2)" by Franklin W. Dixon
What’s the best route to drive from Detroit to New York this weekend dodging thunderstorms and without losing cell service?
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 4, 2026
The Strictly stars were joined by five other pairs of celebrities as they spent two weeks dodging expert hunters.
From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026
Underage users have been dodging the restrictions by using accounts registered to older people, setting up fake accounts, or by logging into private browsers.
From Barron's ● Jun. 24, 2026
She enters the mosh pit fearlessly, dodging flailing arms to two-step — a synchronized dance move that requires punching and running in place — unleashing her energy in the punk sanctum.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 22, 2026
Taking a gamble, Jeremy left the sidewalk and began dodging through backyards.
From "Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher" by Bruce Coville
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
