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
Much of the rest of the state has sidestepped that bottleneck by using NY HELPS, a state program that lets agencies fill many positions without exams.
—
Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 20 Feb. 2026
The move came shortly after a report in The Wall Street Journal about the complaint's existence, following months of delay that has prompted questions about whether political considerations held up action and sidestepped oversight of a complaint involving the nation's top intelligence official.
—Michael Kaplan, CBS News, 8 Feb. 2026
Still, Jordan sidestepped the idea that customers could be turned off by the raft of higher fees and fares, instead emphasizing that the discount airline was offering more options.
—Dallas Morning News, 28 Jan. 2026
Former special counsel Jack Smith repeatedly sidestepped pointed questions about the credibility of January 6 committee witness Cassidy Hutchinson, despite previously acknowledging her most explosive claims amounted to secondhand hearsay.
—Kaelan Deese, The Washington Examiner, 22 Jan. 2026
The disclosure comes after The Denver Post reported in late 2023 that contract Medicaid drivers had sidestepped state rules.
—Seth Klamann, Denver Post, 21 Jan. 2026
Shorts that light would also be not the most sensitive approach for women, but INEOS have neatly sidestepped that problem by not having a women’s team.
—Nick Miller, New York Times, 21 Jan. 2026
Chalamet sidestepped many of the traditional publicity duties — that’s likely to change now as the Oscar push begins — in order to focus on creating these strategic viral moments.
—Pamela McClintock, HollywoodReporter, 14 Jan. 2026
Paramount Skydance, in a Thursday statement, sidestepped Warner’s latest complaints about the enormous debt load that Paramount would need to pull off a takeover.
—Meg James, Los Angeles Times, 8 Jan. 2026
Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 20 Feb. 2026
The move came shortly after a report in The Wall Street Journal about the complaint's existence, following months of delay that has prompted questions about whether political considerations held up action and sidestepped oversight of a complaint involving the nation's top intelligence official.
—Michael Kaplan, CBS News, 8 Feb. 2026
Still, Jordan sidestepped the idea that customers could be turned off by the raft of higher fees and fares, instead emphasizing that the discount airline was offering more options.
—Dallas Morning News, 28 Jan. 2026
Former special counsel Jack Smith repeatedly sidestepped pointed questions about the credibility of January 6 committee witness Cassidy Hutchinson, despite previously acknowledging her most explosive claims amounted to secondhand hearsay.
—Kaelan Deese, The Washington Examiner, 22 Jan. 2026
The disclosure comes after The Denver Post reported in late 2023 that contract Medicaid drivers had sidestepped state rules.
—Seth Klamann, Denver Post, 21 Jan. 2026
Shorts that light would also be not the most sensitive approach for women, but INEOS have neatly sidestepped that problem by not having a women’s team.
—Nick Miller, New York Times, 21 Jan. 2026
Chalamet sidestepped many of the traditional publicity duties — that’s likely to change now as the Oscar push begins — in order to focus on creating these strategic viral moments.
—Pamela McClintock, HollywoodReporter, 14 Jan. 2026
Paramount Skydance, in a Thursday statement, sidestepped Warner’s latest complaints about the enormous debt load that Paramount would need to pull off a takeover.
—Meg James, Los Angeles Times, 8 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sidestepped
Verb
-
The redistricting stems from an August decision in which Judge Dianna Gibson struck down the Utah congressional map adopted after the 2020 census because the Legislature had circumvented anti-gerrymandering standards passed by voters.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
21 Feb. 2026
-
Boise circumvented the law by making the Pride flag one of its official city flags.—
Sarah Cutler,
Idaho Statesman,
20 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Knight ducked her head and smiled when the medal was hung around her neck, her face a mix of pride and exhaustion.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Feb. 2026
-
And the Cougars haven’t ducked anyone.—
John Maffei,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
18 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Police on Saturday had reported that initial information suggested two people at the rear of the group had avoided the slide.—
Caelyn Pender,
Mercury News,
25 Feb. 2026
-
Maybe if Robinson had 31-inch arms the Dolphins wouldn’t have romanticized him so much, and avoided selecting him with the 21st overall pick.—
Omar Kelly,
Miami Herald,
25 Feb. 2026
Verb
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What emerged, Jackson told the court Thursday, was the portrait of a transient and calculating offender who operated across multiple states and evaded law enforcement for years.—
Austin Sanders,
Austin American Statesman,
21 Feb. 2026
-
Song evaded capture for two weeks.—
Kevin Krause,
Dallas Morning News,
18 Feb. 2026
Verb
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On Friday, as Netflix staffers digested all the news, more than a few executives expressed the feeling that the streamer may have dodged a bullet.—
Brent Lang,
Variety,
27 Feb. 2026
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Following the hearing, LaBeouf reportedly dodged reporters outside the courthouse and refused to provide any comment.—
Jessica Schladebeck,
New York Daily News,
26 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The preservation group alleges the president bypassed proper procedures in tearing down the East Wing and soliciting private donations to fund the massive changes.—
Brittney Melton,
NPR,
27 Feb. 2026
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To that end, Powell routinely has played in games when on the injury report earlier in the day, a key factor with guard Tyler Herro available for only 14 games this season entering Thursday, with the Heat having bypassed an extension window for Herro in October that reopens in July.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
26 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Injuries over the past year may have left him unavailable for selection, but there were times last season when his claims were ignored and others like Newcastle United’s Dan Burn and Liverpool’s Jarell Quansah (now at Bayer Leverkusen) were selected.—
Patrick Boyland,
New York Times,
26 Feb. 2026
-
For months, Bill Clinton, 79, and Hillary Clinton, 78, largely ignored the matter in public but that became harder to sustain in December when the former president was featured prominently in the first batch of Epstein files.—
STEVEN SLOAN THE ASSOCIATED PRESS,
Arkansas Online,
26 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sidestepped.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sidestepped. Accessed 28 Feb. 2026.
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