shun
verb (used with object)
to keep away from (a place, person, object, etc.), from motives of dislike, caution, etc.; take pains to avoid.
Used to describe an action that will be fully completed or achieved by a specific point in the future.
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Could I, by any effort of the will, have shunned this pitfall?
From The Private Papers of Henry Ryecroft by George Gissing