elude
Give the slip
Elude means to escape or avoid, typically through cleverness or skill.
A fugitive eludes capture; a word eludes you when you can't quite recall it.
The answer eluded me until I stopped trying so hard.
What eludes you stays just out of reach—success, sleep, understanding.
Not to be confused with allude, which means to refer to indirectly.
Avoid by quick movement
- sidestepEvade by moving aside
- avoidStay away from
- circumventAvoid by going around
- bypassRoute that skirts obstacles
duck · swerve · skirt · evade · deflect · parry · outmaneuver · jink
Depart swiftly from threat
- evadeEscape by cunning
- escapeFlight from captivity
- slip awayDepart without detection
- getawaySwift departure or retreat
flight · breakout · abscond · bolt · runaway · exodus · jailbreak · extricate
Delicate beyond earthly measure
- fleetingPassing very quickly
- ephemeralLasting very briefly
- transientTemporary, soon departing
- intangibleNot physically present
ungraspable · slippery · ineffable · abstract · insubstantial · phantom · will-o-wisp · mercurial
Confuse or perplex
- perplexCause utter confusion
- confoundTo thoroughly puzzle
- puzzleChallenge testing ingenuity
- mystifyConfuse beyond understanding
bewilder · confuse · stump · incomprehensible · unfathomable · enigmatic · inscrutable · cryptic
dodge
Avoid by quick movement
- sidestepEvade by moving aside
- avoidStay away from
- circumventAvoid by going around
bypass · duck · swerve · skirt · evade · deflect · parry · outmaneuver · jink · zigzag
flee
Depart swiftly from threat
getaway · flight · breakout · abscond · bolt · runaway · exodus · jailbreak · extricate · disentangle
ethereal
Delicate beyond earthly measure
intangible · ungraspable · slippery · ineffable · abstract · insubstantial · phantom · will-o-wisp · mercurial · quicksilver
baffle
Confuse or perplex
mystify · bewilder · confuse · stump · incomprehensible · unfathomable · enigmatic · inscrutable · cryptic · impenetrable
slippery
Lacking friction, hard-to-grasp
wily · artful · sly · cagey · shifty · devious · subtle · stealthy · guileful · foxy
chase
Rapid following of quarry
tail · hound · shadow · prey · trail · manhunt · hot pursuit · tracker · bloodhound · sleuth
- avoidance wordsavoid, evade, dodge, sidestep, steer clear
- escapeescape, flee, run away, get away, flight
- evasionevasion, avoiding, avoids, evade, dodging
- Slipping Throughsneak, evade, escape, bypass, squeeze
- cunning tacticscunning, guile, ruse, ploy, stratagem
- disappearingvanish, fade, disappear, vanishing, evaporate