General verbs:
* Avoid: This is the most direct and common verb for expressing avoidance.
* Elude: This implies a more active effort to escape or dodge something.
* Evade: Similar to elude, this suggests skillful or cunning avoidance.
* Bypass: This means to go around or ignore something.
* Circumvent: This implies a clever or strategic way of avoiding something.
* Sidestep: This emphasizes a physical or metaphorical movement away from something.
More specific verbs:
* Shun: To deliberately avoid someone or something due to disapproval or dislike.
* Abstain: To refrain from something, often something considered harmful or pleasurable.
* Refrain: To hold back from doing something, especially something you might want to do.
* Deter: To discourage someone from doing something by making them afraid of the consequences.
* Discourage: To make someone less likely to do something.
* Forestall: To prevent something from happening by taking action in advance.
The best verb to use will depend on the specific situation and the nuance you want to convey.
For example:
* "She avoided eye contact with him." (General avoidance)
* "The thief eluded capture by running through the back alley." (Active escape)
* "The company circumvented the regulations by creating a loophole." (Strategic avoidance)
* "He shunned his family after the argument." (Deliberate avoidance due to dislike)
* "She abstained from alcohol during pregnancy." (Refraining from something)