shirk
verb (used with object)
to evade (work, duty, responsibility, etc.).
shirking
-
present participleof shirk.present participle
A verb form that is used in progressive verb constructions and may also function as a modifier or a gerund.
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.
Employees monitor social-media posts to spot users’ latest methods for shirking their missions, said Jay Shin, chief executive of DelightRoom, the South Korean company behind Alarmy.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 4, 2026
If letting Claude kill people on its own is not shirking oversight mechanisms, then we might reasonably question which “oversight mechanisms” Anthropic is talking about.
From Slate ● Feb. 25, 2026
BC Smith calls “Phasmagorica” an “experiment,” shirking at the word performance.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 18, 2025
One-time hick-hop rapper Jelly Roll is old hat at songs to soundtrack shirking child support payments, but he’s found a bit of a new lane in the path blazed by Wallen.
From Salon ● May 16, 2025
Not long after Fischer reached Kruse and began the troublesome descent to Base Camp, they encountered Boukreev at the top of the Icefall, ascending alone, and Fischer harshly reprimanded the guide for shirking his responsibilities.
From "Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer
