shun
verb (used with object)
to keep away from (a place, person, object, etc.), from motives of dislike, caution, etc.; take pains to avoid.
were shunning
-
past progressiveof shun.past progressive
Used to describe an ongoing action or continuous state that was happening at a specific time in the past.
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.
Treasury yields moved higher then amid fears that global investors were shunning U.S. assets and that inflation would ramp up.
From Barron's ● Oct. 27, 2025
Jury deliberations proved tense last week as well, when one juror said others were "shunning" one member of the panel, calling it "playground stuff".
From BBC ● Jun. 12, 2025
Barrack played an integral role in the 2016 campaign as a top fundraiser at a time when many other Republicans were shunning the upstart candidate before directing Trump’s inauguration.
From Seattle Times ● Oct. 24, 2022
Last fall, the chain ignored those who were shunning beef and rolled out smoked brisket, and earlier this year, Chipotle added pollo asado to the menu, though both are now just memories.
From Washington Post ● Sep. 13, 2022
Even before Symbolics hired away most of the AI Lab's hacker staff, Stallman says many of the hackers who later joined Symbolics were shunning him.
From Free as in Freedom: Richard Stallman's Crusade for Free Software by Sam Williams
