dodge
verb (used with object)
to elude or evade by a sudden shift of position or by strategy.
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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
It is a place out of time, reached by a rocky road between arid hills and the sea where you have to dodge stray cows, goats and wild horses.
From Barron's ● Jul. 21, 2026
Passengers dodge traffic and airport check-in and security lines in exchange for starting their trip in the suburbs and hopping a cheap bus to the airport.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 24, 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
Luckily we were near an alley, where I could turn into the back street and dodge the square.
From "The Sound and the Fury" by William Faulkner
Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and Ram have long been industry laggards in fuel economy.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026
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
The Fort Wayne, Ind., resident brought her 2014 Dodge Journey to a mechanic a few years ago and left with unbalanced tires.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 1, 2026
Video of the confrontation appears to show Nelson idling in a snowy strip mall parking lot in his gray Dodge Ram when another driver in an even larger pickup pulls in beside him.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 10, 2026
I was thinking about the Swarp and the Dodge Gryphon.
From "Feed" by M.T. Anderson
Hatcher — a Pomo shape-shifter who dodges prejudice by passing as Mexican in the novel — is a thorny protagonist, often cunning, scheming and unforgiving.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 24, 2026
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
The self-infantilizing is disconcerting to watch, and no doubt petrifying to experience firsthand, but Gaga dodges the fan and gets into her waiting vehicle.
From Salon ● Aug. 26, 2025
A jet of white light zips from my mom’s hand and flies at Uncle Ty, but he dodges her juju.
From "The Manifestor Prophecy" by Angie Thomas
Woods ran the Via Alpina through storms, heat of up to 37C and dodged floods and wildfires across eight countries.
From BBC ● Aug. 2, 2026
"We dodged a bullet. It was very bad, but it could have been substantially worse. It was quite unsafe for everybody to be outside."
From Barron's ● Jul. 6, 2026
He testified that he “doesn’t know what happened” that day in September 2020 but acknowledged that he dodged the boys with his vehicle while Grossman, speeding behind him, did not.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 11, 2026
It is a chastening experience for Vitol, whose partners pride themselves on having dodged many of the pitfalls that hurt rivals.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 12, 2026
I tried to grab him, and he dodged and then broke out laughing.
From "October Sky" by Homer Hickam
He denied intentionally dodging taxes or breaking the law, testifying that he disliked handling tax and other financial matters, so he relied on office managers and accountants.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
Morgan, and IBM and other quantum-computing players were dodging the tech selloff after the White House late Monday issued two executive orders to support quantum technology.
From Barron's ● Jun. 23, 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
"The key point was she'd been cleared of either tax dodging or being careless," they added.
From BBC ● May 15, 2026
Razi wandered in and out of the crowds, dodging flying scales as fishermen expertly sliced and gutted fish with their sharp, curving knives.
From "The Boy Who Met a Whale" by Nizrana Farook
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.
