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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of sidestep
The irony was unmistakable: a man who barely spoke in interviews, who shrank from the stage, whose music sidestepped every commercial instinct of his time, was now the soundtrack to a car commercial.
—
arkansasonline.com, 5 July 2025
But the president has sidestepped it and placed import taxes of 50% on foreign steel and aluminum, along with levies on cars and trucks.
—Bloomberg News, Boston Herald, 5 July 2025
The court filing, issued as a response to a lawsuit accusing the government of sidestepping federal environmental law in building the facility, appears to put some distance between the feds and the new facility.
—Syra Ortiz Blanes, Miami Herald, 3 July 2025
The media company seems to be sidestepping those concerns by paying the same amount as Disney.
—Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 2 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for sidestep
arkansasonline.com, 5 July 2025
But the president has sidestepped it and placed import taxes of 50% on foreign steel and aluminum, along with levies on cars and trucks.
—Bloomberg News, Boston Herald, 5 July 2025
The court filing, issued as a response to a lawsuit accusing the government of sidestepping federal environmental law in building the facility, appears to put some distance between the feds and the new facility.
—Syra Ortiz Blanes, Miami Herald, 3 July 2025
The media company seems to be sidestepping those concerns by paying the same amount as Disney.
—Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 2 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for sidestep
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sidestep
Verb
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The idea is to circumvent the lengthy process of developers and IP-owners finding one another and thrashing out a deal.—
Stewart Clarke,
Deadline,
15 July 2025
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The nationwide experience with direct democracy and reproductive freedom since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade highlights the impact of the initiative process to check a state’s ability to circumvent the political will of the people.—
Mark Dorosin,
The Orlando Sentinel,
9 July 2025
Verb
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Gran Sasso National Park has trails that weave through medieval villages, crumbling castles, and valleys where wild horses still roam.—
Travel + Leisure Editors,
Travel + Leisure,
23 July 2025
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The new agreement aims to lift these trials out of the margins and weave them more fully into the fabric of government.—
Ron Schmelzer,
Forbes.com,
22 July 2025
Verb
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Close the blinds and curtains on sun-facing windows to block the sun's rays and avoid unwanted heat.—
Alexis Simmerman,
Austin American Statesman,
25 July 2025
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After all, avoiding some topics or questions altogether could be perceived as a political response, said Mark Riedl, a professor of computing at the Georgia Institute of Technology.—
Lisa Eadicicco,
CNN Money,
24 July 2025
Verb
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No need to duck the head toward the high point of the door frame.—
Mark Ewing,
Forbes.com,
21 July 2025
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The woman immediately covered her face and turned away from the camera, while a stunned Byron ducked down and exited the frame.—
Stephanie Nolasco,
FOXNews.com,
21 July 2025
Verb
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Cromartie also took a plea deal for charges including strangulation, third degree assault of a police officer, first degree wanton endangerment, disarming a peace officer, fleeing or evading police, resisting arrest and violation of a foreign protective order, according to court records.—
Killian Baarlaer,
The Courier-Journal,
18 July 2025
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Of late, Netanyahu has attempted to fudge the issue by pushing through legislation that would create a technical process for drafting the ultra-Orthodox but in practice make the new requirements easy to evade.—
Yair Rosenberg,
The Atlantic,
17 July 2025
Verb
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Goodfellas has acquired world sales rights for Iranian director Ali Asgari’s satire Divine Comedy, following a filmmaker’s mission to dodge censorship, ahead of its world premiere in Venice’s Orizzonti sidebar.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
25 July 2025
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Phase variation like this is normally seen in pathogens like Salmonella and E. coli to dodge interception by immune cells or antibiotics.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
23 July 2025
Verb
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This means that a single pill could have a long-lasting fat-burn effect, bypassing the need for a daily or even weekly doses.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
23 July 2025
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These include allowing developers to tell their users about cheaper alternatives and bypass Apple's in-app payment system.—
Arjun Kharpal,
CNBC,
23 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sidestep.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sidestep. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.
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