Word
elude
US/ɪˈɫud/
UK/ɪlˈuːd/
Definition
v. to avoid being caught, seen, or understood. You use this when someone or something is hard to catch or hard to find.
v. to succeed in avoiding or escaping from something; to be beyond the reach of capture or detection. Often used in the context of law enforcement, physical pursuit, or abstract concepts like truth or memory.
Examples
“The thief managed to elude the police for three days.”
“Despite the detective's best efforts, the suspect managed to elude capture by hiding in a crowded subway station.”
“The solution to the puzzle seemed to elude the researchers for months, only revealing itself when they finally considered a completely different set of variables.”
Examples
simple
“The thief managed to elude the police for three days.”
contextual
“Despite the detective's best efforts, the suspect managed to elude capture by hiding in a crowded subway station.”
complex
“The solution to the puzzle seemed to elude the researchers for months, only revealing itself when they finally considered a completely different set of variables.”
Real-World Examples
“When Keener and his team explained a behavior that had eluded scientists around the world, “suddenly, it was obvious,” Wahlberg says.” “It helps them access the sense of meaning that had eluded them, even when they did all the right things.” Etymology
From Latin ēlūdō (“to evade, elude”), from ē- (“out of”, short form of ex-) + lūdō (“to play; to trick”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
VERB
ADJECTIVE
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- C1 · Advanced
- Updated
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