dodging
Getting out of way
Dodging is the act of avoiding something by moving quickly aside or out of the way: He kept dodging punches.
The word extends to evasion more broadly—dodging questions, dodging responsibilities, dodging the draft.
In photography, dodging is a darkroom technique of selectively reducing exposure in parts of a print to lighten them.
Evade by moving aside
Stay away from
- evadeEscape by cunning
- escapeFlight from captivity
- circumventAvoid by going around
- bypassRoute that skirts obstacles
deflect · elude · outmaneuver · skirt · shirk · flee · withdraw · retreat
Evade one's obligations
- evadeEscape by cunning
- duckWaterbird that quacks
- skirtWaist-hung lower garment
- hedgeBoundary of planted shrubs
deflect · stonewall · shun · sidestep · weasel · escape · abstain · beg off
Quick and light-moving
- quickMoving with speed
- light-footedMoving with minimal impact
- fleetVehicles under unified command
- swiftMoving with speed
dexterous · acrobatic · lithe · supple · spry · graceful · agile · athletic
Deceptive mock attack
- fakeNot the real thing
- misdirectionIntentional focus manipulation
- bluffCalculated false front
- decoyFalse target for misdirection
ruse · dummy · head fake · pump fake · sleight · trick · disguise · diversion
Response to stimulus
- instinctInnate behavioral tendency
- anticipationState of awaiting something
- quicknessState of being fast
- alertnessActive mental awareness
timing · muscle memory · responsiveness · coordination · flinch · twitch · split-second · snap
sidestep
Evade by moving aside
jink · bob · pivot · juke · feint · slip · roll · zigzag · leap · bound
avoid
Stay away from
- evadeEscape by cunning
- escapeFlight from captivity
- circumventAvoid by going around
bypass · deflect · elude · outmaneuver · skirt · shirk · flee · withdraw · retreat · duck
shirk
Evade one's obligations
hedge · deflect · stonewall · shun · sidestep · weasel · escape · abstain · beg off · cop out
nimble
Quick and light-moving
- quickMoving with speed
- light-footedMoving with minimal impact
- fleetVehicles under unified command
swift · dexterous · acrobatic · lithe · supple · spry · graceful · agile · athletic · limber
feint
Deceptive mock attack
- fakeNot the real thing
- misdirectionIntentional focus manipulation
- bluffCalculated false front
decoy · ruse · dummy · head fake · pump fake · sleight · trick · disguise · diversion · bait
reaction
Response to stimulus
- instinctInnate behavioral tendency
- anticipationState of awaiting something
- quicknessState of being fast
alertness · timing · muscle memory · responsiveness · coordination · flinch · twitch · split-second · snap · automatic
- kid activitiesplaying, running, jumping, climbing, swinging
- defensive skillsblocking, parrying, shielding, evasion, deflection
- evasionevasion, avoiding, avoids, evade, evasions
- platformersMario, jump, Sonic, platformer, platforms
- tacticsmaneuver, counter-attack, gambit, ambush, counterstrike
- avoiding tacticsevading, sidestepping, skirting, deflecting, skipping
dodgingconfronting
Addressing directly
facing · meeting · encountering · engaging · tackling
dodgingstanding still
Absence of motion
staying put · absorbing · bracing · holding ground · standing ground
dodgingaccepting
Willing to receive
acknowledging · embracing · shouldering · taking responsibility · facing up to
- dodging a bulletNarrowly avoiding harm
- draft dodgingAvoiding mandatory military service
- fare dodgingTraveling without valid ticket