WordValeelude
to escape from, especially by cunning
In more detail
1. (verb) to escape or avoid someone or something, especially by being clever or quick
2. (verb) to be difficult to find, remember, or understand
Examples
- 1. The thief managed to elude the police for weeks.
- 2. The solution to the problem eluded me until I read the hint.
How to use elude
Elude is used when someone or something successfully avoids being caught, found, or understood, often through cunning or quickness. It can apply to physical escape (eluding the police) or abstract notions (the name eludes me). It carries a stronger sense of skill or difficulty than simple avoidance.
Common phrases
- elude capture
- elude detection
- elude one's grasp
- elude the question
- elude one's memory
Synonyms
evade · escape · avoid · dodge · elude
Opposites
confront · face · encounter
Word family
elusion (noun) · elusive (adjective) · elusively (adverb) · elusiveness (noun)
A common mistake
Learners often confuse elude with allude (to make a passing reference to), which has a different meaning and is more common in formal writing.
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