1 to escape

2 to evade

3 to avoid

4 to shirk

1 to avert

2 to prevent

3 to avoid

4 to refrain from

1 to protect

2 to defend

3 to guard against

4 to prevent

1 to prevent

2 to guard against

3 to take precautions

1 to prevent

2 to take precautions against

3 to protect

4 to guard against

5 precautionary

6 prophylactic

1 not trying to avoid the battle-ax (idiom)

2 not afraid of dying in combat

3 not afraid of being executed

1 to guard against the unexpected (idiom); just in case

2 prepared for any eventualities

1 frugality in order to prevent destitution (idiom)

1 to foster strengths and avoid weaknesses (idiom)

2 to play to one's strengths

1 lit. easy to dodge the spear in the open, hard to avoid a stab in the dark (idiom); it is hard to guard against secret conspiracies