Avoiding and Avoid

verb

• Stay clear from; keep away from; keep out of the way of someone or something.
  • usage: "Her former friends now avoid her"
• Prevent the occurrence of; prevent from happening.
  • usage: "Let's avoid a confrontation"; "head off a confrontation"; "avert a strike"
  • synonyms: debar, forefend, forfend, obviate, deflect, avert, head off, stave off, fend off, ward off
• Refrain from doing something.
  • usage: "She refrains from calling her therapist too often"; "He should avoid publishing his wife's memories"
• Refrain from certain foods or beverages.
  • usage: "I keep off drugs"; "During Ramadan, Muslims avoid tobacco during the day"
  • synonyms: keep off
• Declare invalid.
  • usage: "The contract was annulled"; "void a plea"
  • synonyms: invalidate, annul, quash, void, nullify

• (a.) To make void; to annul or vacate; to refute.
• (a.) To emit or throw out; to void; as, to avoid excretions.
• (v.i.) To become void or vacant.
• (a.) To get rid of.
• (a.) To keep away from; to keep clear of; to endeavor no to meet; to shun; to abstain from; as, to avoid the company of gamesters.
• (a.) To defeat or evade; to invalidate. Thus, in a replication, the plaintiff may deny the defendant's plea or confess it, and avoid it by stating new matter.
• (a.) To empty.
• (v.i.) To retire; to withdraw.
• (a.) To quit or evacuate; to withdraw from.