If you avoid a person or thing, you keep away from them. To prevent something from happening or to not allow. Escape, avoid, evade, elude, shun, eschew mean to get away or keep away from something.
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Escape stresses the fact of getting away or being passed. To make void or of no effect;. To stay away from someone or something:
When talking to someone, if you avoid the subject, you keep the conversation away from a.
