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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of sidestepped
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
But, at corner in particular, the Longhorns sidestepped that concern.
—David Eckert, Austin American Statesman, 2 Jan. 2026
Artists pulled out of holiday performances in protest, and CBS sidestepped the new name in its Kennedy Center Honors broadcast, underscoring the controversy.
—Seth Abramovitch, HollywoodReporter, 26 Dec. 2025
It’s often sidestepped on the dessert spread—or prone to endless regifting.
—Lisa Wong MacAbasco, Vogue, 15 Dec. 2025
When asked if the Heat needed to get the ball to Herro more often in Wednesday’s second half after his 20-point first half, Adebayo sidestepped the question.
—Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 4 Dec. 2025
In the November 22 TikTok video posted to the account @conopo, Maisy sidestepped out of arm's reach from the daughter, who came off the bus first.
—Liz O'Connell, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Dec. 2025
Performance sidestepped the concepts of both uniqueness and reproducibility (which, at any rate, no longer offered viable business models) and generated different kinds of attention.
—Diedrich Diederichsen, Artforum, 1 Dec. 2025
Nintendo, on the other hand, has sidestepped this boom and bust cycle.
—Nicholas Gordon, Fortune, 28 Nov. 2025
Meg James, Los Angeles Times, 8 Jan. 2026
But, at corner in particular, the Longhorns sidestepped that concern.
—David Eckert, Austin American Statesman, 2 Jan. 2026
Artists pulled out of holiday performances in protest, and CBS sidestepped the new name in its Kennedy Center Honors broadcast, underscoring the controversy.
—Seth Abramovitch, HollywoodReporter, 26 Dec. 2025
It’s often sidestepped on the dessert spread—or prone to endless regifting.
—Lisa Wong MacAbasco, Vogue, 15 Dec. 2025
When asked if the Heat needed to get the ball to Herro more often in Wednesday’s second half after his 20-point first half, Adebayo sidestepped the question.
—Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 4 Dec. 2025
In the November 22 TikTok video posted to the account @conopo, Maisy sidestepped out of arm's reach from the daughter, who came off the bus first.
—Liz O'Connell, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Dec. 2025
Performance sidestepped the concepts of both uniqueness and reproducibility (which, at any rate, no longer offered viable business models) and generated different kinds of attention.
—Diedrich Diederichsen, Artforum, 1 Dec. 2025
Nintendo, on the other hand, has sidestepped this boom and bust cycle.
—Nicholas Gordon, Fortune, 28 Nov. 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
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His new changeup ducked under bats to bamboozle the Mariners’ lefties.—
Mitch Bannon,
New York Times,
16 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The trio avoided politics because Patti's beliefs differed from Ronald and Nancy's conservative perspectives.—
Haley Van Horn,
PEOPLE,
7 Jan. 2026
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Some, especially those who deliberately avoided Amazon, said they should have been asked for their consent.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The Ravens would find the endzone once again with nine minutes left in regulation after Lamar Jackson evaded heavy pressure from Pittsburgh's front seven to find Zay Flowers for a 50-yard touchdown pass to reclaim the lead, 17-13.—
Garrett Behanna,
CBS News,
4 Jan. 2026
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Out-of-state businesses that evaded city taxes by hiding city business income.—
Randall Fox,
New York Daily News,
1 Jan. 2026
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 9 Jan. 2026.
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