Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

dodger

American  
[doj-er] / ˈdɒdʒ ər /

noun

  1. a person who dodges.

  2. a shifty person, especially one who persistently evades a responsibility, as specified.

    tax dodger; draft dodger.

  3. a leafhopper.

  4. a small handbill; throwaway.

  5. Chiefly South Midland and Southern U.S. corn dodger.

  6. Nautical. a shield, as of canvas, erected on a flying bridge to protect persons on watch from wind, flying spray, etc.

  7. Australian. a large slice, lump, or portion of food, especially of bread.

dodger British  
/ ˈdɒdʒə /

noun

  1. a person who evades or shirks

  2. a shifty dishonest person

  3. a canvas shelter, mounted on a ship's bridge or over the companionway of a sailing yacht to protect the helmsman from bad weather

  4. archaic a handbill

  5. informal food, esp bread

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of dodger

First recorded in 1560–70; dodge + -er 1

Explanation

A dodger is a rascally, sneaky person who lies and tricks their way out of responsibilities or obligations. A tax dodger, for example, schemes to avoid paying taxes. There are many kinds of dodgers — from fare dodgers who jump the subway turnstile rather than pay the fare, to draft dodgers who snuck to Canada during the Vietnam War, to avoid being drafted by the Army. The most famous dodger is probably the character in Charles Dickens' "Oliver Twist" known as The Artful Dodger, a skilled and savvy pickpocket. In the eighteenth century, it was common to use the word dodge to mean "swindle" or "play shifting tricks."

Keep Reading on Vocabulary.com

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.

Neither side thought that clause would ever be triggered; Lesch, a big, intimidating right-hander who threw bullets from behind Coke-bottle eyeglasses, wasn’t headed to a classroom, he was going to Dodger Stadium.

From Los Angeles Times • May 4, 2026

The race starts at Dodger Stadium and ends in Century City, where a Metro D Line station is scheduled to open next year.

From Los Angeles Times • May 1, 2026

Kaylyn “KK” Alves, along with her parents and sister, visited Dodger Stadium this week for an experience coordinated by the Make-A-Wish Foundation of America.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 29, 2026

He engineers several first-rate set pieces, from the fairgrounds of the Midwest to a finale in Dodger Stadium.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 23, 2026

Akira was riding Dodger, her chestnut gelding quarter horse.

From "Two Degrees" by Alan Gratz

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.