sidesteps

verb

present tense third-person singular of sidestep
1
as in circumvents
to avoid having to comply with (something) especially through cleverness the eager enlistee sidestepped the regulations by lying about his age

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in weaves
to move suddenly aside or to and fro the startled spectator sidestepped away from the oncoming ball

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of sidesteps Building a track car sidesteps all the hardest parts of car manufacturing—like bringing it up to safety, emissions, and other compliance standards for road cars. — Andrew P. Collins, The Drive, 16 July 2026 Animation sidesteps the problem. — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 28 June 2026 Owning the company that designs the custom silicon underneath all of them sidesteps the guessing game entirely. — Jon Markman, Forbes.com, 25 June 2026 But the grumbling sidesteps a sharp question. — Chris Stokel-Walker, Scientific American, 19 June 2026 Leo simultaneously defends the secrecy of confession as religious freedom, despite critics calling it an abuse shield, and sidesteps a meeting with ex-Opus Dei members amid Argentine investigations. — Suman Naishadham, Los Angeles Times, 8 June 2026 Republicans have been moving ahead with their plan on their own through the budget reconciliation process, which sidesteps the 60-vote threshold required to advance most legislation. — Kaia Hubbard, CBS News, 3 June 2026 It’s expected that the temporary coverage of obesity medications, which sidesteps federal law, will unleash millions of new patients and billions of dollars in revenue for the drugs’ manufacturers, Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk. — Allison Deangelis, STAT, 1 June 2026 Koushiappas's proposal sidesteps both. — Paul Sutter, Space.com, 26 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sidesteps
  1. circumvents
  2. weaves
  3. avoids
  4. dodges
  5. evades
  6. ducks
  7. bypasses
  8. ignores
Verb
  • Additionally, because the $50 co-payment circumvents Part D, the amount doesn’t count toward a beneficiary’s annual deductible or out-of-pocket maximum.
    — Joshua P. Cohen, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026
  • The exhibit mostly circumvents contextualizing the architectural details of the office, and rather aims to explicate the man who worked within it.
    — Katherine McLaughlin, Architectural Digest, 26 June 2026
Definition of circumvents
Verb
  • On its debut album, the Australian quartet weaves quietly arresting details and playful sonic touches into catchy, familiar noise-pop.
    — Ethan Beck, Pitchfork, 23 July 2026
  • The rapper, who has the small role of a bard in Nolan’s cinematic retelling of the Greek epic poem, weaves together Homer’s prose with modern lyricism on the ghostly track that alludes to Odysseus’ long journey.
    — Daniel Kreps, Rolling Stone, 17 July 2026
Definition of weaves
Verb
  • Jones hopes the study finds improvements to the current system Charlotte Water works under, and that the state avoids overinvesting into industries that take up a lot of water such as data centers.
    — Zaire Breedlove, Charlotte Observer, 22 July 2026
  • Assigning responsibility for each bill upfront avoids awkward money moments later.
    — Ashley Lynch, Sacbee.com, 21 July 2026
Definition of avoids
Verb
  • Meanwhile his wife Penelope dodges suitors while his son Telemachus valiantly searches for his decades-absent dad.
    — Randy Myers, Mercury News, 15 July 2026
  • Hatcher — a Pomo shape-shifter who dodges prejudice by passing as Mexican in the novel — is a thorny protagonist, often cunning, scheming and unforgiving.
    — Maddie Connors, Los Angeles Times, 24 June 2026
Definition of dodges
Verb
  • This skin-crawling faux-documentary concerns a prolific New York serial killer who evades capture despite recording his brazen crimes.
    — Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 7 July 2026
  • However, Noussair Mazraoui evades Casemiro’s challenge far too easily before Bilal El Khannouss releases Achraf Hakimi on the far side.
    — Mark Carey, New York Times, 6 July 2026
Definition of evades
Verb
  • In the video, the subject ducks his head in the opposite direction of the doorbell camera.
    — Michael Ruiz , Adam Sabes , Christina Dugan Ramirez , Sarah Rumpf-Whitten , Julia Bonavita , Peter D'Abrosca , Alexandra Koch , Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 3 Feb. 2026
  • The sun ducks down and sets Conejo Mountain against warm pinks and purples, transforming the ridgeline into an epic silhouette.
    — Brian Hamilton, New York Times, 17 Oct. 2025
Definition of ducks
Verb
  • The United Arab Emirates has a similar pipeline that bypasses the strait, and whose volume will also likely need to double.
    — Andrew Exum, The Atlantic, 23 July 2026
  • And though at least some Heat interest in DeRozan would be expected if James bypasses the Heat, Miami as of Monday had made no assurances to DeRozan and hasn’t told him if he will be pursued if James doesn’t join Miami, according to a source.
    — Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 21 July 2026
Definition of bypasses
Verb
  • So while the film, on one hand, ignores the political perspective of its victims — including Khalra — its wide-spanning rebuttal to government overreach becomes more palatable to mass audiences in the process.
    — Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 20 July 2026
  • By and large, the General Assembly mocks his policy proposals and ignores his leadership.
    — Torrey Snow, Baltimore Sun, 18 July 2026
Definition of ignores

Browse Nearby Words

sidestepping
sidesteps
side street
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Cite this Entry

“Sidesteps.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sidesteps. Accessed 1 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of sidesteps for Spanish Speakers

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