elude
gb/ɪlˈud/ us/ɪlˈud/
C1
English
Senses
0 senses
Verb
C1
action
1
escape being caught or found
to escape from someone who is trying to catch you
Usage pattern:
elude [someone/something] (e.g., police, capture, arrest)
Common mistake:
Learners often confuse elude (escape being caught) with avoid (choose not to do) or allude (mention indirectly).
Synonyms
evade (Often suggests deliberate action to avoid being caught or questioned.)
|
escape (More general; focuses on getting away, not necessarily by skill or speed.)
|
slip away (More informal and often implies leaving quietly.)
Antonyms
be caught (Opposite outcome: being captured or stopped.)
|
be apprehended (Formal word often used for being caught by police.)
Collocations
elude capture
|elude the police
|elude arrest
|elude authorities
|elude pursuers
|elude security
|elude a guard
|elude a manhunt
|elude a search
|elude a predator
Themes
crime_law
|news
|safety
Examples
- The suspect eluded police for three days before being arrested.
- The rabbit eluded the dog by darting into the bushes.
- She eluded the security guard and slipped into the backstage area.
Learner examples
- The thief eluded the police.
- The cat eluded the dog.
Verb
C1
action
2
avoid being noticed or detected
to not be found or noticed
Usage pattern:
elude [detection/notice/observation]
Common mistake:
Don’t use elude for ordinary avoidance (e.g., 'elude homework'); it usually implies hiding from detection or being hard to find.
Synonyms
go unnoticed (Focuses on not being seen or paid attention to.)
|
escape detection (Close in meaning; common in technical or crime contexts.)
|
remain hidden (Emphasizes being concealed rather than the act of avoiding detection.)
Antonyms
be detected (Opposite: being discovered by a person or system.)
|
be noticed (Opposite: being seen or observed.)
Collocations
elude detection
|elude notice
|elude observation
|elude radar
|elude identification
|elude diagnosis
|elude measurement
|elude surveillance
|elude recognition
|elude tracking
Themes
science
|technology
|crime_law
|health
Examples
- The virus can elude detection in its early stages.
- Small errors sometimes elude notice until the final review.
- The aircraft flew low to elude radar.
Learner examples
- The mistake eluded notice.
- The problem eluded detection.
Verb
C1
state
3
be hard to understand or remember
to be something someone cannot understand or remember
Usage pattern:
[something] eludes [someone]
Common mistake:
The subject is usually the thing that is hard to understand (e.g., 'The reason eludes me'), not the person.
Synonyms
baffle (Stronger; suggests confusion and inability to make sense of something.)
|
escape (Often used similarly (e.g., 'the name escapes me') but more informal and less precise.)
|
stump (More informal; often used for questions or puzzles.)
Antonyms
be clear (Opposite: easy to understand.)
|
be understood (Opposite: successfully grasped mentally.)
Collocations
the meaning eludes me
|the answer eludes me
|the reason eludes me
|success eludes him
|sleep eludes her
|a name eludes me
|an explanation eludes us
|the concept eludes them
|the truth eludes investigators
|a solution eludes the team
Themes
education
|thinking
|communication
Examples
- The reason for his sudden departure still eludes me.
- A simple solution has eluded the engineers for months.
- Her name eluded him, even though he recognized her face.
Learner examples
- The answer eludes me.
- A solution eluded us.
Verb
formal
C1
action
4
avoid an unpleasant fate
to avoid something bad that might happen
Usage pattern:
elude [danger/death/punishment/responsibility]
Common mistake:
Elude is less common than avoid in everyday situations; it often implies a narrow escape or something difficult to avoid.
Synonyms
avoid (More general and common; does not always imply difficulty.)
|
escape (Often implies a narrow or lucky avoidance of harm.)
|
dodge (More informal; emphasizes quick or clever avoidance.)
Antonyms
face (Opposite: confront or experience the consequence.)
|
suffer (Opposite: experience the negative result.)
Collocations
elude death
|elude punishment
|elude responsibility
|elude prosecution
|elude consequences
|elude a fine
|elude defeat
|elude danger
|elude accountability
|elude bankruptcy
Themes
risk
|crime_law
|health
|daily_life
Examples
- He narrowly eluded serious injury in the crash.
- For years the company eluded accountability for its actions.
- The hikers eluded the worst of the storm by reaching shelter early.
Learner examples
- He eluded punishment.
- They eluded danger.
Grammar
Dictionary form
elude
IPA
GB/ɪlˈud/
US/ɪlˈud/
Syllables & stress
elude (1 syllable)
Word forms
Verb
- Base: elude
- 3rd Person Singular: eludes
- Present Participle: eluding
- Past: eluded
Word family
Forms
eludes
verb
eluding
verb
eluded
verb
Core family
elusive
adjective B2
Related words
elusively
adverb
elusiveness
noun
Advanced or less common
elusion
noun
Expressions
[something] eludes me
1/sˈʌmθɪŋ ɪlˈudz mˈi/
fixed phrase
I can’t understand or remember
I can’t understand it or remember it
Examples
- Why she agreed to it still eludes me.
- The exact date eludes me, but it was in late spring.
- How this feature works completely eludes me.
elude [someone's] grasp
1/ɪlˈud sˈʌmwˌʌnz ɡɹˈæsp/
idiom
remain out of reach
to stay out of someone’s reach or understanding
Examples
- For many families, home ownership continues to elude their grasp.
- A full understanding of the poem eluded her grasp.
elude capture
1/ɪlˈud kˈæpt͡ʃɚ/
fixed phrase
avoid being caught
to not get caught
Examples
- The suspect managed to elude capture despite a large search operation.
- For weeks, the gang eluded capture by moving between cities.
elude detection
1/ɪlˈud dɪtˈɛkʃən/
fixed phrase
avoid being detected
to not be found by tests or checks
Examples
- The counterfeit bills were good enough to elude detection at first.
- Some diseases can elude detection for years.
elude justice
1/ɪlˈud d͡ʒˈʌstɪs/
fixed phrase
formal
avoid punishment by law
to avoid legal punishment
Examples
- The fraudster eluded justice for years by using false identities.
- Investigators reopened the case so the killer would not elude justice.