SIDESTEPPED Synonyms: 53 Similar and Opposite Words

sidestepped

verb

past tense of sidestep

as in circumvented

to avoid having to comply with (something) especially through cleverness the eager enlistee sidestepped the regulations by lying about his age

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in ducked

to move suddenly aside or to and fro the startled spectator sidestepped away from the oncoming ball

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 sidestepped One Californian who may have already sidestepped that question? — Kelly Phillips Erb, Forbes.com, 25 July 2026 This was no grilling, though, as the Italian set out his thoughts on the new job and sidestepped any tricky questions with the aid of a wide smile. — Sam Lee, New York Times, 25 July 2026 Yet Jackson opened his first general election rally with a 19-minute speech that focused on his opponent and sidestepped any mention of Trump at all. — Greg Bluestein, AJC.com, 20 July 2026 The blue-chip Dow Jones Industrial Average sidestepped some of the market turmoil, thanks in part to UnitedHealth’s post-earnings gain. — Alex Harring, CNBC, 17 July 2026 As for Reflect Orbital, the company’s Eärendil-1 has for now sidestepped the concerns of its critics and could launch later this year. — Mary Randolph, Scientific American, 16 July 2026 Earlier this year, two cases sidestepped Section 230 to hold Meta and YouTube liable for harms against their users by focusing on the companies’ design choices. — Ramishah Maruf, CNN Money, 14 July 2026 Warsh sidestepped questions about whether the Fed would raise rates, even though lawmakers pressed him. — Eleanor Mueller, semafor.com, 14 July 2026 When asked who the better striker is, Kane — who won the World Cup Golden Boot in 2018 — diplomatically sidestepped the question. — Andrew Greif, NBC news, 12 July 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for sidestepped

Verb

Kawhi Leonard’s trade to the Toronto Raptors is on hold pending the outcome of the NBA’s investigation into whether the Los Angeles Clippers circumvented salary-cap rules, the teams announced Thursday.

— Tim Reynolds, Chicago Tribune, 10 July 2026
The Toronto Raptors put the brakes on acquiring Kawhi Leonard from the Clippers, announcing Thursday that the trade is on hold until the NBA investigation into whether the Clippers circumvented salary cap rules is complete.

— Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 9 July 2026

Definition of circumvented

Verb

Attendees instinctively ducked under tables and chairs, not knowing what had just happened.

— Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 24 July 2026
Making it through the growing phase, having ducked and dodged blight, hornworms, blossom end rot, and all the other problems a tomato plant might run into can feel like a success of its own.

— Natalia Gonzalez Blanco Serrano, The Spruce, 17 July 2026

Definition of ducked

Verb

Stevens has largely avoided discussing the organization directly, even as its spending has reshaped the race.

— Joey Cappelletti, Fortune, 19 July 2026
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration opened an investigation into Waymo in May after instances during which the self-driving cars collided with objects that a human driver could have easily avoided.

— Amaia Gavica, Miami Herald, 18 July 2026

Definition of avoided

Verb

An independent committee investigating the cause of Hong Kong’s deadliest fire in decades heard arguments on how improper practices that evaded regulatory oversight turned a small fire into a tragedy as the case neared its conclusion Friday.

— ABC News, ABC News, 17 July 2026
Still, several popular chains have sadly evaded the KC metro.

— Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 17 July 2026

Definition of evaded

Verb

With bots already making up over half of internet traffic, businesses failing to update will be bypassed, losing customers who increasingly send software to interact online.

— Gene Marks, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026
Jozef, still a seminarian who had entered the congregation and taken the name Damien only three years earlier, bypassed his immediate superiors and petitioned the higher orders in Paris to be allowed to take his place.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 20 July 2026

Definition of bypassed

Verb

The remarks struck a nerve in a country grappling with persistently high youth unemployment and quickly became a rallying cry for a generation that says it feels ignored by those in power.

— Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 25 July 2026
There's another trendline as well — patients who delay coming in until their symptoms are so severe they can't be ignored.

— Durrie Bouscaren, NPR, 25 July 2026

Definition of ignored

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sidestep

sidestepped

sidestepping

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“Sidestepped.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sidestepped. Accessed 26 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of sidestepped

verb

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