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
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Recent Examples of sidesteps
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
There is a better approach for a lot of these payments - one that predates the OBBBA and sidesteps its new limitations entirely.
—
Matthew F. Erskine,
Forbes.com,
25 May 2026
The bill needed strong backing in the House, as it was passed under suspension, which requires a two-thirds majority vote and sidesteps certain procedural hurdles.
—
Claire Carter,
The Washington Examiner,
20 May 2026
If the other person is between jobs or not in the mood to talk about work, this also sidesteps any potential awkwardness.
—
Anna Goldfarb,
CNBC,
20 May 2026
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
There is a better approach for a lot of these payments - one that predates the OBBBA and sidesteps its new limitations entirely.
—
Matthew F. Erskine,
Forbes.com,
25 May 2026
The bill needed strong backing in the House, as it was passed under suspension, which requires a two-thirds majority vote and sidesteps certain procedural hurdles.
—
Claire Carter,
The Washington Examiner,
20 May 2026
If the other person is between jobs or not in the mood to talk about work, this also sidesteps any potential awkwardness.
—
Anna Goldfarb,
CNBC,
20 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sidesteps
Verb
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Sea Change reads as an intimate character study, one that circumvents familiar narratives of Asian intergenerational trauma in favor of a more complicated reckoning.
-
RevMed’s daraxonrasib cleverly circumvents this problem by acting as a molecular stickum.
Verb
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Father Joseph Balikuddembe, a young priest, weaves down the aisle for communion, depositing wafers on the nuns' lips.
-
Created in collaboration with Misfit House founder Monica Stewart and Sun House Children’s clothing designer Hollis McFadden, Tassel House Textiles weaves together nature motifs and historical palettes for a collection that adds instant patina.
Verb
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The goal is to deliver a form-fit-function replacement that avoids expensive system-level changes, which can require extensive certification and shipyard time across fleets.
-
The jazz portion of the mural reflects the district’s most recognizable legacy but avoids relying solely on the figures most commonly associated with Kansas City music history.
Verb
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Hatcher — a Pomo shape-shifter who dodges prejudice by passing as Mexican in the novel — is a thorny protagonist, often cunning, scheming and unforgiving.
-
Lionel Messi rebounds his own miss and dodges three Austrian defenders with a sliding second goal in stoppage time to put the exclamation mark on an historic performance for him and Argentina today in Arlington.
Verb
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Panthalassa evades these regional regulatory and environmental obstacles by deploying autonomous computing nodes directly into deep water.
-
And though bound together as one 10-county region, the Hudson Valley actively evades a uniform identity.
Verb
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In the video, the subject ducks his head in the opposite direction of the doorbell camera.
-
The sun ducks down and sets Conejo Mountain against warm pinks and purples, transforming the ridgeline into an epic silhouette.
Verb
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Virginia also could make another run at a redistricting amendment that bypasses a bipartisan commission.
-
Clinics lean on the absorption argument, that the IV route bypasses the gut, to justify both the format and the price.
Verb
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Furthermore, the new deal ignores Lebanon’s efforts to free itself from Iran’s influence in the country through its Hezbollah ally.
-
Rambling usually ignores it when Dean Cain posts one of his tirades against liberal Hollywood.
Cite this Entry
“Sidesteps.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sidesteps. Accessed 25 Jun. 2026.
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