The phrase "avoided before" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to refer to something that has been previously evaded or not addressed in the past.
Example: "The issue of climate change has been avoided before in many discussions, but it is time to confront it head-on."
Alternatives: "previously evaded" or "neglected in the past".
The US has taken a subtly different approach to the negotiations in the past day, with the special envoy for climate change, Todd Stern, speaking approvingly of the roadmap – a term he has avoided before, as the US dislikes the implication that there is a set route with a strict timetable and clear destination.
You need to increase your fat and calorie intake, so foods you may have avoided before may be precisely what you need now.
They discussed more difficult topics (which they'd often avoided before) and shared more personal information.
For Mr. Pennington, the public engagements have been a form of exposure therapy, pushing him to articulate bad memories and buried feelings that he had avoided before.
Merchant Ivory's own resources were used to begin production (in 2006, on location in Argentina), something Mr. Merchant had strenuously avoided before.
The paltry sum may have inspired Mr. Obama's strategists to begin explicitly encouraging donations to the "super PAC" — something they had avoided before since it conflicted with the spirit of Mr. Obama's public criticism of the Citizens United decision.
One thing to avoid before an Alpine Start (12.30am) is a night without sleep.
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So if you are going to raise VC, here are some things you need to accept and avoid before signing on the dotted line.
5 retirement mistakes to avoid before you retire.
Michael Phelps offers an encore career lesson for all of us. 5 retirement mistakes to avoid before you retire.
