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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of sidestepping
Isaac Chotiner,
New Yorker,
11 Mar. 2026
Isabel Ruehl,
The Atlantic,
25 June 2026
Critics say the administration is sidestepping a law that has shaped Washington’s skyline for more than a century.
—
Dan Diamond,
Washington Post,
19 June 2026
The results indicate that officers were often sidestepping explicitly asking for search consent, in favor of veiled and passive language that was difficult for people to understand in real time.
—
Robert Salonga,
Mercury News,
17 June 2026
Not only will O'Neil's sidestepping of questions fuel the fire, but the circuit's next event on the calendar is not scheduled until July 23-26 in the United Kingdom, leaving ample time for reports and rumors to drum up even more uncertainty.
—
Mark Harris Outkick,
FOXNews.com,
9 June 2026
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
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
Artists have canceled shows at the Smithsonian and elsewhere, and some exhibits are sidestepping the president’s war on DEI.
—
Isabel Ruehl,
The Atlantic,
25 June 2026
Critics say the administration is sidestepping a law that has shaped Washington’s skyline for more than a century.
—
Dan Diamond,
Washington Post,
19 June 2026
The results indicate that officers were often sidestepping explicitly asking for search consent, in favor of veiled and passive language that was difficult for people to understand in real time.
—
Robert Salonga,
Mercury News,
17 June 2026
Not only will O'Neil's sidestepping of questions fuel the fire, but the circuit's next event on the calendar is not scheduled until July 23-26 in the United Kingdom, leaving ample time for reports and rumors to drum up even more uncertainty.
—
Mark Harris Outkick,
FOXNews.com,
9 June 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sidestepping
Noun
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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].
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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.
Verb
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Australia doubled the maximum penalty imposed on social media companies that fail to comply with the ban on under-16 users, as evidence grew that children are circumventing restrictions.
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Another means of circumventing the protection of the real property company is through veil piercing using an alter ego theory.
Verb
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Some of them wear face paint, camouflage uniforms, and ghillie suits — ducking in and out of foxholes cut into the ground.
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Guests can walk along the nearby Rim Village Promenade before ducking into its lobby to enjoy the cozy fireplace, Mission furniture, and tree trunk columns.
Noun
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Yet by skirting and at times ignoring those rules, ride-sharing companies were able to acquire a critical mass of users in a short period of time.
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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.
Verb
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While technical expertise is crucial, successfully landing remote AI jobs also requires strategic searching, understanding employer terminology, and avoiding scams.
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Petrakakos said arrangements around possible tolls or coordination with Iran remain largely ad hoc, with most shipping companies avoiding direct engagement because of sanctions risk.
Verb
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Alongside Chase and her family stands film director Guy Ritchie; not as a badge‑on celebrity, but as a creative collaborator who has invested both capital and time in the project, designing the Wild Kitchen feasting tables and quietly weaving the whisky into his storytelling world.
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But over the nearly one-and-a-half years since the 2025 mega-fires, native and invasive grasses, bushes and trees have begun to regrow, weaving flammable greenery across the landscape.
Noun
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Yet most will only remember that Leonard’s tenure in the City of Angels netted zero Larry O’Brien trophies and instead plenty of load management and one ongoing salary cap circumvention investigation.
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However, the fun police in the NBA’s legal department would (correctly) view this is as blatant cap circumvention, and would not treat this as a laughing matter.
Verb
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The suspect, 30‑year‑old Trevion Mark of Fort Worth, was arrested nearby without incident and charged with reckless endangerment and evading arrest in a motor vehicle, according to DPS.
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Mark was charged with reckless endangerment and evading arrest in a motor vehicle and booked into the Tarrant County Jail.
Cite this Entry
“Sidestepping.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sidestepping. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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