duck and dodge

Meanings

1. 1phraseidiom

   to move quickly down and sideways to avoid being hit or caught

   Grammar: Used without an object: The players ducked and dodged. It can also be followed by 'to avoid something'.

   Patterns

   • duck and dodge to avoid something
   • duck and dodge around something

   The boxer ducked and dodged to avoid his opponent's punches.

   The children ducked and dodged around the playground equipment.

   She ducked and dodged through the crowd to reach the exit.

2. 2phraseidiominformalfigurative

   to avoid dealing with a difficult question, responsibility, or situation

   Grammar: Often used in continuous tenses: He's been ducking and dodging the issue for weeks.

   Patterns

   • duck and dodge a question
   • duck and dodge responsibility

   The politician ducked and dodged every question about the new tax.

   Stop ducking and dodging and tell me what really happened.

   He ducked and dodged his responsibilities until the deadline passed.

Common combinations

duck and dodge a question

The manager ducked and dodged every question about the layoffs.

duck and dodge responsibility

She accused him of ducking and dodging responsibility for the mistake.

duck and dodge to avoid

The player ducked and dodged to avoid the tackle.

keep ducking and dodging

He kept ducking and dodging instead of giving a straight answer.

Synonyms and how they differ

evade

More formal and often used for avoiding duties or questions; 'duck and dodge' is more physical and informal.

sidestep

Suggests avoiding something by moving to one side, often a question or issue; 'duck and dodge' implies repeated quick movements.

Opposites

Commonly confused: duck and dodge or duck?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “duck and dodge”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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