1
as in to circumvent
to avoid having to comply with (something) especially through cleverness
the eager enlistee sidestepped the regulations by lying about his age
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of sidestep
Oz notably sidestepped questions from senators about Republican plans to cut Medicaid.
—
Dan Gorenstein, NPR, 20 Mar. 2025
Trump sidestepped a question over whether his administration violated a court order while speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on Sunday evening.
—Regina Garcia Cano, Twin Cities, 17 Mar. 2025
Nine Senate Democrats—and Independent Angus King of Maine who caucuses with them—joined all but one Senate Republican on Friday to sidestep a government shutdown.
—Philip Elliott, TIME, 14 Mar. 2025
By the time the debt matures, the counterparty would settle in bitcoin—sidestepping the usual route of placing giant buy orders on public markets.
—Dave Birnbaum, Forbes, 12 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sidestep
Dan Gorenstein, NPR, 20 Mar. 2025
Trump sidestepped a question over whether his administration violated a court order while speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on Sunday evening.
—Regina Garcia Cano, Twin Cities, 17 Mar. 2025
Nine Senate Democrats—and Independent Angus King of Maine who caucuses with them—joined all but one Senate Republican on Friday to sidestep a government shutdown.
—Philip Elliott, TIME, 14 Mar. 2025
By the time the debt matures, the counterparty would settle in bitcoin—sidestepping the usual route of placing giant buy orders on public markets.
—Dave Birnbaum, Forbes, 12 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sidestep
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sidestep
Verb
-
In August, de Moraes increased the financial penalties and implemented a nationwide ban on X. Musk briefly circumvented the ban through Starlink, which provides internet service to many Brazilians, but he was evidently rattled.—
Jon Lee Anderson,
New Yorker,
7 Apr. 2025
-
European companies might circumvent President Donald Trump's anti-diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) program, a legal expert has told Newsweek.—
Newsweek Staff,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Produced by Tomás Cortés of Cine Animal and supported by Panama’s Ministry of Culture, the film weaves animation, archival footage and interviews to trace Guardia’s personal journey, fueled by his childhood memories of provocative Panamanian artist Julio Zachrisson’s odd yet captivating artworks.—
Anna Marie de la Fuente,
Variety,
7 Apr. 2025
-
However, as with that piece, Macdonald needed to find a bigger story to weave around this legendary moment in time.—
Simon Thompson,
Forbes.com,
7 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
In another legend, the monk was said to have cut off his eyelids to avoid falling asleep during his meditation, one explanation for the doll’s wide-eyed stare.—
Rebecca Cairns,
CNN Money,
8 Apr. 2025
-
Facing the Marlins for the second time in a week, the Mets (7-3) avoided facing ace Sandy Alcantara, with the 2022 Cy Young Award winner having been added to the paternity list earlier in the day.—
Abbey Mastracco,
New York Daily News,
8 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Over at the station, with 25 minutes until Spencer’s train arrives, a whole bunch of Whitfield’s men enter the waiting are; Jake ducks his head and sneaks outside to let the sheriff know they’re greatly outnumbered.—
Kimberly Roots,
TVLine,
6 Apr. 2025
-
Catch up quick: The former heart surgeon and TV talk show host ducked questions about possible Medicaid cuts and how DOGE could affect the big health programs during a relatively smooth confirmation hearing at Senate Finance last month.—
Victoria Knight,
Axios,
3 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
The group has claimed dozens of strikes against Israel throughout the war in Gaza, some of which have managed to evade the country's state-of-the-art air defense systems.—
Newsweek Staff,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 Apr. 2025
-
Overtourism is to blame That year, a railway company also launched a probe against four popular YouTubers over their stunt to evade fares on public transport, according to local media.—
Chris Lau,
CNN Money,
5 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Then, on Wednesday, a day before Maryland took the court for its first Sweet 16 game in a decade, Willard dodged questions about his future with the Terps, a stark contrast to his comments a week earlier.—
Taylor Lyons,
Baltimore Sun,
28 Mar. 2025
-
In the case of imaginary casks, issuing a ‘certificate of ownership’ dodges the key rule that underpins the sale and management of a Scotch whisky cask: that the purchaser should be able to have direct contact with the warehouse that is storing it.—
Felipe Schrieberg,
Forbes.com,
27 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
The major criticism was that the policy fails to go far enough or establish clear barriers to protect women's athletes in the college ranks and that the policy allegedly allows trans athletes to bypass the restriction by changing the gender on their birth certificate.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
26 Mar. 2025
-
Brokered by the United Nations and Turkey, the deal allowed Ukraine to export grain by sea, with ships bypassing a Russian blockade of the country’s Black Sea ports and navigating safe passage through the waterway to Turkey’s Bosphorus Strait in order to reach global markets.—
Ivana Kottasová,
CNN,
25 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sidestep.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sidestep. Accessed 11 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share