Attempt and Prevention: English Vocabulary List

to strain or expend excessive physical or mental effort beyond one's capacity

"Do not overexert yourself during exercise."

"You should be careful not to overexert yourself during your first week of training because your body needs time to adjust to the new routine."

to leave quickly, often in order to escape or avoid someone or something

"The thief made off with the money."

"The thief managed to make off with a valuable diamond necklace while the security guard was distracted by his phone."

to move hurriedly, especially to escape or to leave a place abruptly

"Scram before the teacher catches you."

"The angry shopkeeper yelled at the teenagers to scram and never come back to his store ever again."

to avoid or neglect one's responsibilities, often by finding ways to escape from them

"Do not shirk your responsibilities at work."

"The lazy employee tried to shirk his responsibilities by arriving late and leaving early every single day without any valid excuse."

to avoid or bypass a problem, question, or responsibility by addressing it indirectly or by taking a different approach

"He sidestepped the difficult question."

"The clever politician tried to sidestep the reporter's difficult question by changing the subject to something completely unrelated and less controversial."

to deliberately avoid, ignore, or keep away from someone or something

"She shuns social media completely."

"After the scandal was exposed the other celebrities decided to shun the disgraced actor at every public event and award ceremony."

to avoid a thing or doing something on purpose

"He eschews unhealthy foods entirely."

"Many health conscious people eschew processed foods and refined sugar in favor of whole grains fresh vegetables and lean proteins in their daily diets."

to secretly flee from a place, typically to avoid arrest or prosecution

"The criminal absconded with the stolen funds."

"The company treasurer decided to abscond with millions of dollars in client funds and fled the country to avoid being arrested by the police."

to run away hastily, often in a disorderly or hurried manner

"The children skedaddled when they saw the principal."

"As soon as the teacher turned her back the mischievous students decided to skedaddle out of the classroom before she could give them any more homework."

to stop something from happening by acting ahead of time

"They took action to forestall the crisis."

"The company implemented new safety measures to forestall any potential lawsuits after several workers were injured on the job due to faulty equipment."

to delay the occurrence of something undesirable or threatening

"He ate to stave off hunger."

"He ate a small snack to stave off his hunger until dinner time because he knew he would not be able to eat for several more hours."

to try to achieve something

"They bid for the contract."

"The wealthy collector decided to bid a huge amount of money for the rare painting at the famous art auction house last weekend."

to repel or avoid an attack or undesirable situation

"He wore a hat to ward off the sun."

"The old superstition says that carrying a rabbit's foot can help to ward off evil spirits and bring good luck to the person who carries it."

to take action to prevent or resolve a problem before it occurs

"She headed off the argument before it started."

"The police set up a roadblock to head off the fleeing suspects before they could reach the highway and escape to another state."

to evade an obligation, question, or problem by means of excuses or dishonesty

"He circumvented the security system easily."

"The clever lawyer found a legal loophole to circumvent the restrictive law and allow his client to proceed with the business deal without any penalties."

to circumvent or avoid something, especially cleverly or illegally

"Bypass the city center to avoid traffic."

"The truck driver decided to bypass the busy city center by taking a longer rural route that had much less traffic and fewer traffic lights."