sidestep

1 of 2

verb

side·​step ˈsīd-ˌstep How to pronounce sidestep (audio)
sidestepped; sidestepping; sidesteps

transitive verb

1
: bypass, evade
sidestep a question
2
: to move out of the way of : avoid
sidestep a blow

intransitive verb

1
: to take a side step
2
: to avoid an issue or decision
sidestepper noun

side step

2 of 2

noun

1
: a step aside (as in boxing to avoid a blow)
2
: a step taken sideways (as when climbing on skis)

Examples of sidestep in a Sentence

Verb She sidestepped the reporter's question. They're sidestepping the real issue.
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
The justices sidestepped the politically fraught issue of insurrection in their opinions Monday, but some Trump critics pointed to the silence on that topic as a victory of sorts because the court failed to absolve him of responsibility for the Capitol riot. Democrat-Gazette Staff From Wire Reports, arkansasonline.com, 5 Mar. 2024 According to the Center for Climate Integrity’s report, the industry invested in extensive campaigns to sidestep such bans, convincing the public that recycling was the solution. Popular Science, 28 Feb. 2024 But as Reuven Avi-Yonah recently pointed out, Moore might still cause problems, even if the justices sidestep the most contentious issue: Does the Constitution require income to be realized before it can be taxed? Joseph Thorndike, Forbes, 26 Feb. 2024 In December, the Biden administration sidestepped Congress to approve two emergency arms sales to Israel. NBC News, 24 Feb. 2024 Homebuyers who could afford to sidestep mortgage rates altogether increasingly did so last month. Alex Veiga, Quartz, 22 Feb. 2024 Hudson sidestepped on whether the focus on attracting female and minority candidates as House Republican candidates clashes with efforts to clamp down on diversity and inclusion programs within the federal government and elsewhere. Kevin Freking, Fortune, 12 Feb. 2024 This small-mindedness profoundly displeases Marina, who nonetheless sidesteps most third-rail subjects, including Russia, China, and Gaza. Virginia Heffernan, WIRED, 14 Feb. 2024 But as long as the administration sidesteps the reality of Israeli abuses in Gaza and applies the rules of military assistance selectively, the moral authority claimed by the United States will slip further away. Sarah Yager, Foreign Affairs, 12 Feb. 2024
Noun
Opting for the new trim includes new fender flares, lower door garnishes, side steps, and bed rails, as well as trim-specific orange center caps for the wheels. Jack Fitzgerald, Car and Driver, 5 July 2023 The cabin also packs USB-A and USB-C charging ports and a wireless charger, and ingress and egress are improve thanks to wider side steps and a more vertical A-pillar. Caleb Miller, Car and Driver, 27 July 2023 Officials with the nonprofit consumer advocacy organization Public Citizen said Merck's lawsuit is an attempt to side step popular legislation. Ken Alltucker, USA TODAY, 6 June 2023 An available side step is there to make accessing the bed a bit easier. Eric D. Lawrence, Detroit Free Press, 10 May 2023 There isn’t a common world of respect from one human to another that side steps gender – and for women, side steps age. Janelle Davis, CNN, 12 Mar. 2023 The Sierra now offers power-retractable side steps and an active exhaust system available on upper trims. Jack Fitzgerald, Car and Driver, 8 Apr. 2023 It should be noted that entire asset tokenization is one of the regulatory areas that demand attention in these early stages, where, for now, fractional ownership tokenization is managing to take a side step around that particular area of legislation. Johan Hajji, Forbes, 4 Aug. 2022 This side step might not work for everything, like video game apps, for which there is often no way to pay for stuff on a website. Shira Ovide, Washington Post, 2 Dec. 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sidestep.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Verb

1860, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun

circa 1656, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of sidestep was circa 1656

Dictionary Entries Near sidestep

Cite this Entry

“Sidestep.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sidestep. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

sidestep

verb
side·​step -ˌstep How to pronounce sidestep (audio)
1
: to take a step to the side
2
: to avoid by a step to the side
sidestep a blow
3
: to avoid answering or dealing with
sidestep a question

More from Merriam-Webster on sidestep

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