Sortear
 

I have always used this verb for raffle. I was reading an article in which sortear meant to avoid. Dictionaries confirm this. Is this a common usage?

It is common in Spain, at least.

Oxford gives good examples:

(obstáculo/bache) to avoid
(bache/obstáculo) to negotiate
(problema/dificultad) to get around

conducía a gran velocidad, sorteando los vehículos — he drove very fast, dodging / swerving in and out of the traffic

sorteó las preguntas con habilidad — he dealt with / handled the questions skillfully

https://es.oxforddictionaries.com/tr...tear?locale=en

¡Saludos cordiales, Poli!

It's common everywhere, but I'd say it's a bit of an educated word. There's the collocation "sortear (las, or, toda suerte de) dificultades" that shows you sort of slaloming all obstacles that, figuratively, come in your way. Also, the collocation "sortear ríos y montañas" meaning you find your way in the wild, covering hundreds of miles. And also "sortear el último escollo" or "sortear el escollo de...", meaning you find your way around a specific, or the last, pitfall.

Thank you both. I think it translates to sort in English. You can say I had to sort my way through all kinds of difficulties. The verb to sort when used this way is not at all synonymous to evade or avoid however.