1
as in circumventing
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
as in bypassing
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Recent Examples of sidestepping
Jay Weaver, Miami Herald, 9 Sep. 2025
The two countries have also increasingly settled transactions in rubles and yuan with Putin announcing that 90% of the two countries transactions are being settled in those currencies as of December 2024, sidestepping Western financial systems.
—Earl Carr, Forbes.com, 4 Sep. 2025
Then, in the summer between fifth and sixth grade, Little joined Instagram, Facebook and Snapchat, sidestepping the platforms’ limits by lying about their age.
—Charlotte Alter, Time, 20 Aug. 2025
But immigration activists accused the agency of sidestepping those restrictions.
—Seth Klamann, Denver Post, 11 Aug. 2025
This enables organizations to centralize control while sidestepping many of the risks associated with DIY pipelines.
—Taylor Brown, Forbes, 6 Jan. 2025
There’s no sidestepping this directive.
—Zack Savitsky, Quanta Magazine, 13 Dec. 2024
Rather than set itself up for a losing battle of expectations against those stores, Amazon is simply sidestepping it.
—Jennifer Pattison Tuohy, The Verge, 22 Nov. 2024
After sidestepping any possibility of Jones triggering a $23 million injury guarantee by benching the starter, the Giants are giving DeVito another audition in the nation’s biggest media market—which includes a Thanksgiving clash with the Dallas Cowboys.
—Eric Jackson, Sportico.com, 20 Nov. 2024
Noun
Environmental groups and the Miccosukee tribe had sued the state and federal government for sidestepping federal environmental regulations when erecting the site in an airstrip in Big Cypress National Preserve.
—Jay Weaver, Miami Herald, 9 Sep. 2025
The two countries have also increasingly settled transactions in rubles and yuan with Putin announcing that 90% of the two countries transactions are being settled in those currencies as of December 2024, sidestepping Western financial systems.
—Earl Carr, Forbes.com, 4 Sep. 2025
Then, in the summer between fifth and sixth grade, Little joined Instagram, Facebook and Snapchat, sidestepping the platforms’ limits by lying about their age.
—Charlotte Alter, Time, 20 Aug. 2025
But immigration activists accused the agency of sidestepping those restrictions.
—Seth Klamann, Denver Post, 11 Aug. 2025
This enables organizations to centralize control while sidestepping many of the risks associated with DIY pipelines.
—Taylor Brown, Forbes, 6 Jan. 2025
There’s no sidestepping this directive.
—Zack Savitsky, Quanta Magazine, 13 Dec. 2024
Rather than set itself up for a losing battle of expectations against those stores, Amazon is simply sidestepping it.
—Jennifer Pattison Tuohy, The Verge, 22 Nov. 2024
After sidestepping any possibility of Jones triggering a $23 million injury guarantee by benching the starter, the Giants are giving DeVito another audition in the nation’s biggest media market—which includes a Thanksgiving clash with the Dallas Cowboys.
—Eric Jackson, Sportico.com, 20 Nov. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sidestepping
Verb
-
Bogdan is ordered by Ventham to start digging at the back of the cemetery to begin property development, circumventing the protest at the entrance.—
Barry Levitt,
Time,
28 Aug. 2025
-
Starlink chip scammers might be circumventing Facebook’s fraud systems by not mentioning SpaceX or Starlink in the ad's text.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
12 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Videos of the shooting show witnesses screaming in horror and ducking for cover after the bullet struck Kirk in the neck.—
Peter D'Abrosca , Michael Ruiz,
FOXNews.com,
11 Sep. 2025
-
Then, everyone started ducking down.—
Bill Hutchinson,
ABC News,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
This was a logical progression in the war, as well as a response to the contradictions at the heart of an American policy that sought to assist Ukraine while avoiding direct confrontation with Russia.—
Robert Kagan,
The Atlantic,
10 Sep. 2025
-
This means not just avoiding harm, but also actively promoting health and well-being preventively.—
Kristen Moon,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The story unfolds in Agra during the 1990s, weaving together romantic elements with comedic beats and supernatural scares.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
6 Sep. 2025
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Naming the bags is my way of weaving culture directly into design.—
Ugonnaora Owoh,
Essence,
4 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The Dominator 3, at its base a Ford F-350, features an armored shell and skirting designed to keep winds from lifting the vehicle; strong windows, equipment for tracking weather data and a hydraulic spike system used to anchor the vehicle to the ground.—
Nathan Pilling,
Kansas City Star,
5 Sep. 2025
-
Architectural Details From cornices to skirting boards, architectural features are part of the foundation of English style.—
Kristina McGuirk,
Better Homes & Gardens,
28 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Villa have enjoyed a successful style, evading risk and playing with precision.—
Jacob Tanswell,
New York Times,
11 Sep. 2025
-
Thomas Phillips and his children – believed to be ages 9, 10 and 12 – had been evading police in a remote part of the country’s North Island since December 2021, triggering a manhunt that gripped the nation.—
Todd Symons,
CNN Money,
7 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The viral trend has fueled fiery online debates — with TikToks showing everything from brides dodging cake by bending over backwards to grooms chasing their new wives across the room just to land the smash.—
Kimberlee Speakman,
PEOPLE,
11 Sep. 2025
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Why then, after dodging bullets and a couple of explosive shellings, look at the president’s role in the economy on fall Sunday when the NFL stops the nation in its tracks save for DraftKings ?—
Jim Cramer,
CNBC,
7 Sep. 2025
Noun
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This provision prohibits salary-cap circumvention, meaning arrangements by teams to compensate players outside of their employment contracts.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
5 Sep. 2025
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Ironically, most cap circumvention penalties, such as draft picks, suspensions and fines, are team-only.—
Jesse Silvertown,
Forbes.com,
3 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sidestepping.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sidestepping. Accessed 15 Sep. 2025.
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