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
Environmental groups and the Miccosukee tribe had sued the state and federal government for sidestepping federal environmental regulations when erecting the site in an airstrip in Big Cypress National Preserve.
—
Jay Weaver, Miami Herald, 9 Sep. 2025
Median earnings growth for companies across the Russell 3000 index remained negative for much of three years—yet the overall stock market seemed to sidestep a crash, until recently.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 8 Sep. 2025
At a talk at the Arkansas Attorney General’s office in Little Rock, FCC Chairman Brendan Carr said that reclassifying contraband cellphones as unauthorized could sidestep the rule.
—Will McCurdy, PC Magazine, 6 Sep. 2025
Despite the glossy subject matter, Winocour neatly sidesteps clichés, instead searching for quiet moments that give the story emotional resonance.
—Joelle Diderich, Footwear News, 5 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sidestep
Jay Weaver, Miami Herald, 9 Sep. 2025
Median earnings growth for companies across the Russell 3000 index remained negative for much of three years—yet the overall stock market seemed to sidestep a crash, until recently.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 8 Sep. 2025
At a talk at the Arkansas Attorney General’s office in Little Rock, FCC Chairman Brendan Carr said that reclassifying contraband cellphones as unauthorized could sidestep the rule.
—Will McCurdy, PC Magazine, 6 Sep. 2025
Despite the glossy subject matter, Winocour neatly sidesteps clichés, instead searching for quiet moments that give the story emotional resonance.
—Joelle Diderich, Footwear News, 5 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sidestep
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sidestep
Verb
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The Clippers have publicly suggested that there is evidence the team did not circumvent salary rules.—
Joe Vardon,
New York Times,
11 Sep. 2025
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Taylor and Travis fall somewhere between the two, with their previous owner evidently looking to circumvent the shelter's current system for taking in pets.—
Jack Beresford,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Aliée Istanbul All of the hotels bordering the Bosphorus have an impressive view of the boats weaving through the river’s currents and the Asian half of Istanbul on the other side.—
Laurie Werner,
Forbes.com,
17 Sep. 2025
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Our Top Picks for the Best Bedroom Rugs Solid rugs can bring a pop of color into your bedroom and weave in texture at the same time.—
Audrey Lee,
Architectural Digest,
16 Sep. 2025
Verb
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However, by sharing so much of Lisa's code, the interface practically demanded a pointing device, and the mouse was selected, even though Raskin had so carefully tried to avoid it.—
Cameron Kaiser,
ArsTechnica,
12 Sep. 2025
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These writers will work under the latest Public Television Freelance Agreement, which the WGA East ratified in December after a lengthy and sometimes contentious negotiation cycle with PBS, narrowly avoiding a strike.—
Katie Campione,
Deadline,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The way a Newfoundland dog carefully ducks his head to avoid getting bumped by a car trunk has captured hearts across the internet.—
Lydia Patrick,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 Sep. 2025
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People having to duck and dive on the trains and the buses, walking through the street, this is one case, but this is happening all across the country.—
Ted Johnson,
Deadline,
14 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Rather than provide food or temporary shelter for such workers in the colder months, municipalities would round them up and remove them, to save money and evade any responsibility to aid them.—
Time,
Time,
16 Sep. 2025
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In Milwaukee, Kellner said that around 33% of bus riders have evaded paying fares in 2025 but that the agency has identified a few cost-neutral strategies targeted at reducing fare evasion down to 30% by September 2026, the same rate of evasion busses saw in 2024.—
Claudia Levens,
jsonline.com,
15 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The companies showing off their cases with a lighter white or silvery iPhone 17 Pro in product shots mostly dodged any embarrassment, as those are harder to distinguish from Apple’s actual silver color.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
11 Sep. 2025
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The primary backup appears to have dodged a bullet.—
Jeff Sanders,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
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From creators building businesses on digital platforms to startups launched by teens, many are bypassing traditional credentials altogether.—
Sarah Hernholm,
Forbes.com,
17 Sep. 2025
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The decision safeguards employees' reputations by requiring corrections to personnel records and ensures that future administrations cannot bypass statutory protections to carry out purges of the workforce.—
Robert Alexander,
MSNBC Newsweek,
16 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sidestep.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sidestep. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.
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