1
as in circumvented
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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Recent Examples of sidestepped
Campaigning, Spanberger often sidestepped the historic potential of her candidacy.
—
Sydney Lake, Fortune, 5 Nov. 2025
Wi Sung-lac revealed no immediate progress on the lingering sanctions over THAAD, and sidestepped giving a direct answer on the submarine issue.
—Se Eun Gong, NPR, 2 Nov. 2025
Trump had earlier sidestepped questions concerning Taiwan, including when asked by the Washington Examiner last week whether Xi was pressuring him to oppose Taiwanese independence as part of trade deal negotiations.
—Naomi Lim, The Washington Examiner, 31 Oct. 2025
Trump sidestepped questions about Johnson’s comments, instead touting his strong polling numbers.
—Lalee Ibssa, ABC News, 29 Oct. 2025
And at many universities the process through which differences in institutional values are surfaced and reconciled is unclear, especially as AI initiatives have often sidestepped democratic faculty governance.
—Chris Wegemer, The Conversation, 8 Oct. 2025
Roseman’s answer at the time sidestepped a question about a post-Darius Slay drop-off at CB2 that has since been exploited at times this season, but Mitchell and DeJean’s play has also justified Roseman’s confidence in them.
—Brooks Kubena, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2025
The letter, however, sidestepped any talk of changes to Missouri’s gun laws, among the loosest in the nation.
—Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 30 Sep. 2025
And Trump’s past comments aren’t the only embarrassment being sidestepped.
—Oscar Holland, CNN Money, 16 Sep. 2025
Sydney Lake, Fortune, 5 Nov. 2025
Wi Sung-lac revealed no immediate progress on the lingering sanctions over THAAD, and sidestepped giving a direct answer on the submarine issue.
—Se Eun Gong, NPR, 2 Nov. 2025
Trump had earlier sidestepped questions concerning Taiwan, including when asked by the Washington Examiner last week whether Xi was pressuring him to oppose Taiwanese independence as part of trade deal negotiations.
—Naomi Lim, The Washington Examiner, 31 Oct. 2025
Trump sidestepped questions about Johnson’s comments, instead touting his strong polling numbers.
—Lalee Ibssa, ABC News, 29 Oct. 2025
And at many universities the process through which differences in institutional values are surfaced and reconciled is unclear, especially as AI initiatives have often sidestepped democratic faculty governance.
—Chris Wegemer, The Conversation, 8 Oct. 2025
Roseman’s answer at the time sidestepped a question about a post-Darius Slay drop-off at CB2 that has since been exploited at times this season, but Mitchell and DeJean’s play has also justified Roseman’s confidence in them.
—Brooks Kubena, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2025
The letter, however, sidestepped any talk of changes to Missouri’s gun laws, among the loosest in the nation.
—Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 30 Sep. 2025
And Trump’s past comments aren’t the only embarrassment being sidestepped.
—Oscar Holland, CNN Money, 16 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sidestepped
Verb
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The man reportedly circumvented barriers that surround the altar, climbed the steps and urinated on the holy structure.—
Sam Gillette,
PEOPLE,
14 Oct. 2025
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The league could void the Clippers-Leonard contract and order the forfeiture of first-round picks, a penalty experienced by the Minnesota Timberwolves when they were found to have circumvented the cap to sign Joe Smith.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Qing Yuan opened the tap, gripped the edge of the trough, and ducked his head under the water.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
23 Oct. 2025
-
His new changeup ducked under bats to bamboozle the Mariners’ lefties.—
Mitch Bannon,
New York Times,
16 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Previous Japanese leaders have avoided discussing Taiwan in the context of a military response.—
Jessie Yeung,
CNN Money,
12 Nov. 2025
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Margolick argues that Caesar avoided topical satire out of fear.—
David Denby,
New Yorker,
10 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Bears quarterback Caleb Williams hit tight end Colston Loveland with a pass and the tight end barely evaded two Bengals defenders, who hit each other instead of Loveland.—
Kyle Feldscher,
CNN Money,
3 Nov. 2025
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The Bills shut down Patrick Mahomes and evaded the Chiefs for the fifth straight time in the regular season to improve to a secure 6-2 mark.—
Torrey Hart,
New York Times,
3 Nov. 2025
Verb
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His biography was removed from the royal family's official website, and Prince William dodged a question alluding to his uncle's recent drama during his trip to Brazil this week.—
Stephanie Petit,
PEOPLE,
7 Nov. 2025
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Yet, in a recent interview with fellow journalist Jorge Ramos, Mamdani dodged questions about whether Venezuela’s and Cuba’s rulers are dictators.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
30 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Legal observers have noted that Halligan’s appointment bypassed the usual Senate confirmation process.—
Robert Alexander,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Oct. 2025
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Bessent, who specialized in foreign exchange in a decades-long hedge fund career, organized a $20 billion foreign-exchange swap with Argentina’s central bank earlier this month — an unusual structure that bypassed the US Federal Reserve, which is typically the lead party in such arrangements.—
Daniel Flatley,
Fortune,
27 Oct. 2025
Verb
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For weeks, the FDC, from its communication staff to Secretary Mark Inch, has ignored questions from reporters about how many inmates were being tested, how many tests were coming back positive, how many were coming back negative and how many were pending.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
7 Nov. 2025
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The woman expresses frustration that her financial reality seems ignored.—
Ashley Vega,
PEOPLE,
7 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sidestepped.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sidestepped. Accessed 17 Nov. 2025.
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