as in bypassing
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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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Recent Examples of sidestepping
Isaac Chotiner, New Yorker, 11 Mar. 2026
Yelena Moroz Alpert, Architectural Digest, 31 May 2026
And sidestepping tough topics could do just as much harm as tackling them, since deep conversations are important for the health of our relationships.
—Lisa Pavia-Higel, The Conversation, 27 May 2026
That pitch dovetails with SPAN’s latest smart devices aimed at helping grid operators manage growing electrical loads without costly power infrastructure upgrades—sidestepping the need to pass on infrastructure investment costs to customers through higher utility bills.
—Jeremy Hsu, ArsTechnica, 12 May 2026
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s has provisionally enacted the deal, effectively sidestepping the EU Parliament where the agreement is now being challenged by EU lawmakers at the bloc’s judiciary.
—ABC News, 12 May 2026
In this case, critics argue, the township approved the project through a court settlement without formally changing the zoning—effectively sidestepping that part of the process.
—Sharon Goldman, Fortune, 6 May 2026
The global micro-drama surge is also the story of a predominantly female audience, hungry for romance and fantasy, sidestepping legacy gatekeepers.
—Chang Che, New Yorker, 25 Apr. 2026
For-profit North Carolina companies have been sidestepping property tax payments through a loophole that continues to grow in popularity, chipping away at the tax base for local governments like Mecklenburg County.
—Charlotte Observer, 24 Apr. 2026
Such an outcome would restore funding to border and immigration enforcement priorities while sidestepping all of the structural reforms Democratic lawmakers spent months advocating after sweeping immigration enforcement action in cities like Los Angeles, Chicago and Minneapolis.
—Nicole Sganga, CBS News, 23 Apr. 2026
Noun
One was the very clear sidestepping of Palestinian sovereignty, and the second was the issue of Iran.
—Isaac Chotiner, New Yorker, 11 Mar. 2026
Verb
Surrounded by trees and mountain landscapes, the transparent structure delivers the atmosphere of an outdoor wedding while sidestepping many of the logistical headaches that come with weather-dependent venues.
—Yelena Moroz Alpert, Architectural Digest, 31 May 2026
And sidestepping tough topics could do just as much harm as tackling them, since deep conversations are important for the health of our relationships.
—Lisa Pavia-Higel, The Conversation, 27 May 2026
That pitch dovetails with SPAN’s latest smart devices aimed at helping grid operators manage growing electrical loads without costly power infrastructure upgrades—sidestepping the need to pass on infrastructure investment costs to customers through higher utility bills.
—Jeremy Hsu, ArsTechnica, 12 May 2026
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s has provisionally enacted the deal, effectively sidestepping the EU Parliament where the agreement is now being challenged by EU lawmakers at the bloc’s judiciary.
—ABC News, 12 May 2026
In this case, critics argue, the township approved the project through a court settlement without formally changing the zoning—effectively sidestepping that part of the process.
—Sharon Goldman, Fortune, 6 May 2026
The global micro-drama surge is also the story of a predominantly female audience, hungry for romance and fantasy, sidestepping legacy gatekeepers.
—Chang Che, New Yorker, 25 Apr. 2026
For-profit North Carolina companies have been sidestepping property tax payments through a loophole that continues to grow in popularity, chipping away at the tax base for local governments like Mecklenburg County.
—Charlotte Observer, 24 Apr. 2026
Such an outcome would restore funding to border and immigration enforcement priorities while sidestepping all of the structural reforms Democratic lawmakers spent months advocating after sweeping immigration enforcement action in cities like Los Angeles, Chicago and Minneapolis.
—Nicole Sganga, CBS News, 23 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sidestepping
Noun
-
Assistive listening studies report that bypassing room acoustics and delivering audio directly can improve signal‑to‑noise ratios by 15–20 dB, making announcements comprehensible and lectures clearer [8].—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
26 Feb. 2026
-
The facility, intended as the largest addition to the White House since the Oval Office, has sparked debate among historians, preservationists, commentators, and the public due to its demolition of the historic East Wing and the bypassing of standard preservation reviews.—
Associate News Editor,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
While Polymarket’s terms of service bar US customers, traders have spoken publicly about circumventing the company’s restrictions by using a virtual private network.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
28 May 2026
-
This approach may be less quick initially, but the technology is eventually used more extensively because workers can utilize the software instead of circumventing it.—
Ihor Yurchenko,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2026
Verb
-
Now, 25 games and 577 days since the injury that put his career in jeopardy, there was All on the Bengals’ practice fields, cutting and accelerating, extending for receptions and ducking into blocking assignments.—
Paul Dehner Jr,
New York Times,
2 June 2026
-
He was spotted ducking down in a field as traffic passed by and fled before he was found in a small cave, police have said.—
Marlene Lenthang,
NBC news,
1 June 2026
Noun
-
That’s evidenced by the GOP’s skirting of the issue.—
CNN.com,
Mercury News,
3 Oct. 2025
-
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
Verb
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The partnership resulted in the implementation of energy efficiency measures across the HVAC and lighting systems that are projected to reduce carbon emissions by an amount equivalent to avoiding the import of approximately 7,200 barrels of oil.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
4 June 2026
-
While the Hartford Board of Education must decide in June whether to seek oversight, Arulampalam said the funding is critical to avoiding more layoffs.—
Livi Stanford,
Hartford Courant,
4 June 2026
Verb
-
Brith, who is ahead and in charge, is taking as her guide the stream, which sparks in the sunlight, cutting a narrow channel through the hillside, weaving itself around rocks and tree trunks, appearing and disappearing, diving underground then springing up in unexpected places.—
Maggie O’Farrell,
Literary Hub,
2 June 2026
-
The latter can seem more like a game of dodgeball with bikes weaving in and out of your path.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 June 2026
Noun
-
Such circumvention of due process is part of the accusations against Duterte and Dela Rosa.—
Lauren Kent,
CNN Money,
13 May 2026
-
Amid a strange Clippers season and an ongoing investigation into cap-circumvention allegations, the 34-year-old Leonard has put together arguably his finest season as a Clippers player.—
Joe Vardon,
New York Times,
12 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The company and its advocates would rather debate the merits of one particular study instead of [ShotSpotter parent company] SoundThinking's track record of evading evidence based accountability in Chicago.—
Asal Rezaei,
CBS News,
3 June 2026
-
As of May 2024, Escalera faces multiple charges, including murder, third-degree burglary, second-degree burglary and evading police, according to The Courier-Journal.—
Corin Cesaric,
PEOPLE,
2 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sidestepping.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sidestepping. Accessed 7 Jun. 2026.
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