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
Christopher Elliott, USA Today, 29 Sep. 2025
Washington has pressured Mexico to crack down on Chinese imports over allegations that goods are being rerouted to the US, thus sidestepping American levies placed on Beijing.
—semafor.com, 29 Sep. 2025
By sidestepping the fragile transfer process and enabling direct fabrication on liquid, Xu’s method could transform how scientists design lightweight, adaptable technologies across multiple fields.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 26 Sep. 2025
Coliseum officials did weigh the possibility of sidestepping the permitting issue altogether — or at least letting the purchasers worry about it.
—Shomik Mukherjee, Mercury News, 20 Sep. 2025
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
Noun
The key is preparing before problems strikes, or sidestepping the problem by finding alternate transportation when possible.
—Christopher Elliott, USA Today, 29 Sep. 2025
Washington has pressured Mexico to crack down on Chinese imports over allegations that goods are being rerouted to the US, thus sidestepping American levies placed on Beijing.
—semafor.com, 29 Sep. 2025
By sidestepping the fragile transfer process and enabling direct fabrication on liquid, Xu’s method could transform how scientists design lightweight, adaptable technologies across multiple fields.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 26 Sep. 2025
Coliseum officials did weigh the possibility of sidestepping the permitting issue altogether — or at least letting the purchasers worry about it.
—Shomik Mukherjee, Mercury News, 20 Sep. 2025
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sidestepping
Verb
-
On the Pablo Torre Finds Out podcast, journalist Pablo Torre reported that Leonard wasn’t obligated to perform services to Aspiration, that the deal would end if the Clippers traded Leonard and that the payments were understood as circumventing the cap.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
10 Sep. 2025
-
And in cases where credentials are compromised, attackers can operate from within, circumventing network protections entirely.—
Camellia Chan,
Forbes.com,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Jasper and Michelle looked for Josie, screaming her name, ducking behind cars to avoid gunfire.—
Georgea Kovanis,
Freep.com,
1 Oct. 2025
-
Everyone’s ducking and dodging these days, too.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
30 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Some strains are now capable of identifying and bypassing backups, targeting critical systems first and spreading laterally across devices and networks.—
Ro'ee Margalit,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The cubs were taught essential survival skills—including hunting and avoiding humans—to get ready to be reintroduced to the wild.—
Maria Azzurra Volpe,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Oct. 2025
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The change also aligned with the WHO’s guidelines for naming diseases, which emphasize avoiding names that are offensive to cultural groups, or that negatively impact trade, tourism, or animal welfare.—
Dr. Nikki Romanik,
Time,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Anderson is a rare and rangy breed of cinematic maximalist—a satirical quasi-historian and pop-cultural magpie with a gift for weaving disparate influences into a marvellously unruly synthesis.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
26 Sep. 2025
-
Of course, for most visitors, the very act of lining up, sweating, and weaving through stalls is part of the magic of visiting Taiwan.—
Clarissa Wei,
Travel + Leisure,
26 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
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This year’s skillshare in Philadelphia is slated to offer a series of hourlong workshops, including a lesson on evading law enforcement and eluding capture.—
Mia Cathell,
The Washington Examiner,
2 Oct. 2025
-
Jackson was apprehended a short time later and arrested for evading arrest or detention, police said.—
Shambhavi Rimal,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
29 Sep. 2025
Verb
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That’s why some companies are approaching the Kessler problem as one of disposing, rather than dodging.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
30 Sep. 2025
-
Facing third and goal, Wells dropped back and decided to tuck the ball, dodging two defenders on his way to a seven-yard touchdown run.—
Jordan Neal,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
27 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sidestepping.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sidestepping. Accessed 5 Oct. 2025.
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