Avoids key cuts (7)
I believe the answer is:
eschews
'avoids' is the definition.
(eschewing is a kind of avoiding)
'key cuts' is the wordplay.
'key' becomes 'esc' ('Escape' key on a computer keyboard).
'cuts' becomes 'hews' (I've seen this in another clue).
'esc'+'hews'='ESCHEWS'
(Other definitions for eschews that I've seen before include "Avoids or shuns" , "Avoids or abstains from" , "Deliberately avoids using" .)