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
Trump has illegally used this law now to sidestep due process.
—
Juan Vargas, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 May 2025
Trump's rally just outside Detroit — his largest political event since returning to the White House — largely sidestepped two major issues that have shaken Michigan: the economic fallout from his aggressive trade tariffs and his combative stance toward neighboring Canada.
—Tom Rogers, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Apr. 2025
Chief Justice John Roberts sidestepped a chance to draw more attention to himself by not going beyond his previous comments about Trump's attacks on the judiciary.
—Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 9 May 2025
Whatever the motive, sidestepping such rules degrades their significance in keeping secrets safe.
—Anna Mulrine Grobe, Christian Science Monitor, 8 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for sidestep
Juan Vargas, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 May 2025
Trump's rally just outside Detroit — his largest political event since returning to the White House — largely sidestepped two major issues that have shaken Michigan: the economic fallout from his aggressive trade tariffs and his combative stance toward neighboring Canada.
—Tom Rogers, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Apr. 2025
Chief Justice John Roberts sidestepped a chance to draw more attention to himself by not going beyond his previous comments about Trump's attacks on the judiciary.
—Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 9 May 2025
Whatever the motive, sidestepping such rules degrades their significance in keeping secrets safe.
—Anna Mulrine Grobe, Christian Science Monitor, 8 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for sidestep
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sidestep
Verb
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Chinese producers looked to expand trade to Southeast Asia and other regions to circumvent the U.S. tariffs.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
13 May 2025
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As promised, High Commander Wharton (Josh Charles) has closed Jezebel's, circumventing the rebellion's plot to massacre Gilead's most unsavory leaders.—
Matt Cabral,
EW.com,
6 May 2025
Verb
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Among the companies charting this alternative path is Organic India, a wellness brand that has woven regenerative organic agricultural practices into its DNA long before the term became a mainstream badge of sustainability.—
Christopher Marquis,
Forbes.com,
13 May 2025
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The singer sported an intricate top for her time on the show — silver chains woven together to form a halter-neck shape.—
Rachel Raposas,
People.com,
13 May 2025
Verb
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Its timelines collapse and blur, and its characters are bound by ruinous, inescapable fates; the reader cannot avoid disorientation.—
Marion Renault,
The Atlantic,
13 May 2025
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Steer clear of windows and avoid large open spaces like cafeterias, gymnasiums, or auditoriums.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
13 May 2025
Verb
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In May 1926, the world-famous evangelist Aimee Semple McPherson vanished; she was last seen ducking into the ocean near Santa Monica for a swim.—
Dorothy Fortenberry,
The Atlantic,
12 May 2025
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Anna Wintour was a pretty One Fifth regular for whom McNally once ducked behind a stove to cook eggs after the kitchen had closed.—
Molly Fischer,
New Yorker,
5 May 2025
Verb
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Penguin Press, June 17 Image El Dorado Drive by Megan Abbott After skipping town to evade a nagging creditor in 2008, Harper returns to her Detroit suburb months later to find her two older sisters, once in the throes of debt, sporting fresh highlights and driving a Lexus.—
Laura Thompson,
New York Times,
22 May 2025
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The former prisoners who have continued to evade police for nearly a week include Leo Tate, Jermaine Donald, Derrick Groves, Lenton Vanburen and Antoine Massey, according to USA Today, while Corey Boyd, Gary Price, Kendell Myles, Robert Moody, and Dkenan Dennis have been re-arrested.—
Sean Neumann,
People.com,
22 May 2025
Verb
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But for now Illinois has dodged two major budgetary bullets.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
13 May 2025
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Miss Manners: What’s the best way to dodge a fishy hug?—
Judith Martin,
Mercury News,
13 May 2025
Verb
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Also, the final order included a new mechanism that would increase the ability for drugmakers to sell directly to consumers, bypassing pharmacy benefits managers.—
Brian Evans,Yun Li,Fred Imbert,
CNBC,
11 May 2025
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Seven decades later, some politicians and college leaders are becoming increasingly anxious that another president might cause a different world power to bypass the United States.—
Zachary Schermele,
USA Today,
9 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sidestep.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sidestep. Accessed 27 May. 2025.
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