Sentence:  Emerson <WSD>evaded</WSD> the problem by shoving it aside , or rather by leaving it behind him : he walked out of the Unitarian communion , so that it could lick the wound of his departure , preserve its self-respect and eventually accord him pious veneration . 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  avoid or try to avoid fulfilling, answering, or performing (duties, questions, or issues)