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evasive action

evasive action

6 4.9
A quick move to avoid danger
  • noun
  • /ɪˈveɪsɪv ˈækʃən/
translation icon : acción evasiva
  • The pilot quickly took evasive action to prevent the aircraft from colliding with the mountain.
  • take evasive action
  • evasive action to avoid

And I had to sort of make, you know, take evasive action.

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Examples

  • He swerved sharply and took evasive action to dodge the oncoming vehicle.

  • The Black Hawk began evasive action, but the Scorpion was too fast, heavily armed, and hard to find.

  • I'll try and get on your tail, and I want you to take evasive action.

  • The driver took evasive action to avoid the animal and went into the grass median.

    Blog text (18)
  • Several horses had to take evasive action, jumping or avoiding the rail.

    Blog text (9)
  • Any Organism from a bacterium to a human, if threatened in any way, will take every evasive action to stay alive.

  • Don't stop, leaving the cyclist to take evasive action or get hit.

    Blog text (25)
  • That was 25 years ago when every maneuver executed by the submarine captain depended largely on his mental ability to quickly assess, calculate, and take evasive action.

    Blog text (29)
  • Jaywalking when there is traffic is more than a danger to the jaywalker; it's a danger to the vehicles and any other people around, as a car could crash into anything if the driver needs to take sudden evasive action to avoid a jaywalker.

    Blog text (32)
  • During the storm, we had to take evasive action to avoid being struck by falling debris.

Synonyms

flight
vsevasive action
111 4.9

A quick secret escape from danger or capture

is any avoiding action to prevent harm or defeat, not only fast departure
maneuver
vsevasive action
  • US
108 6.3

A clever move to gain an advantage in a game or fight

is focused on avoiding harm or defeat specifically, not general strategy
retreat
vsevasive action
93 4.4

A move back from a place to escape danger

covers avoiding harm or defeat more broadly, not only backward movement
escape
vsevasive action
77 1.1

An act of avoiding harm or a dangerous situation

is specifically taken to prevent harm or defeat rather than any avoidance
evasion
vsevasive action
5 6.3

A quick movement that lets someone escape being caught

is about avoiding harm or defeat rather than just clever movement
rearguard action
vsevasive action
1 7.9

A defensive action to protect an army that is retreating or delay an enemy

is a broader avoiding act to prevent harm or defeat, not only military defense
end run around
vsevasive action
  • US
1 7.7

An indirect way to avoid a rule or problem

is aimed at preventing harm or defeat rather than bypassing rules
protective reaction
vsevasive action
3.8

An action that keeps someone safe from danger

is any action taken to avoid harm or defeat, not only safety responses

Antonyms

Showing anger and wanting to argue with others

direct action
  • Jargon
10 5.5

A protest where people act directly, for example by blocking a road or factory, to reach their goals

How Evasive

evasive action
6 4.9
dodge
4 2.7
avoidance
39 3.7

Surface Forms

Morphology

evasive + action

The phrase 'evasive action' is a straightforward adjective + noun combination where 'evasive' (avoiding or escaping) modifies 'action' (a step or measure), so the meaning 'an action taken to avoid or escape something' is directly derivable from the parts. This is a standard, compositional pattern in English (and commonly mirrored in other languages), so a B1 learner who knows both words will understand the MWE.

Etymology

Evasive action makes you picture a quick physical move to get away, like a driver swerving or a player ducking. The word evasive means to 'avoid' and action is the move, so it means a fast move to 'avoid' danger or escape harm.