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 Doing so sidesteps the higher yields on longer tenors but increases refinancing risks. — Greg Ritchie, Fortune, 13 Aug. 2026 By working through employers, Addition Wealth sidesteps the brutal customer acquisition costs that have undermined most direct-to-consumer fintech plays and gains access to the data that makes guidance genuinely personal. — Geri Stengel, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026 Colom mostly sidesteps Mississippi history or electoral math unless asked. — ABC News, 7 Aug. 2026 The Azizuddin Brothers have spent the better part of a decade making work that sidesteps genre convention and mainstream expectation. — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 5 Aug. 2026 Most polls have him in second place in his own party behind Memphis councilwoman Jerri Green, but his presence in the race at all is notable for a genre that generally sidesteps politics altogether. — Josh Crutchmer, Rolling Stone, 4 Aug. 2026 Fauci’s decision to invoke the Fifth, at least for now, sidesteps calls for his prosecution if he is accused of lying at Wednesday’s hearing, part of a yearslong campaign for his arrest spearheaded by some Republicans in Congress. — Lauran Neergaard, Los Angeles Times, 29 July 2026 This completely sidesteps current debates plaguing Medicare Part B — namely, rapidly mounting medication spending has driven higher premiums and out-of-pocket payments for beneficiaries. — Pooja Yerramilli, STAT, 24 July 2026 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
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
  • Rome — Scorching temperatures and a long, dry summer have given locals and tourists alike a rare opportunity to see the remains of a 2,000-year-old bridge that once spanned the Tiber river that weaves through the center of Rome.
    — Barbie Latza Nadeau, CNN Money, 14 Aug. 2026
  • The jukebox musical weaves songs from across Keys’ career into the fictional Ali’s story.
    — Maya Santiago, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of weaves
Verb
  • The larger battery gives it the sort of range that makes an EV genuinely useful for long-distance driving, while the interior avoids some of the irritating touchscreen-heavy trends found elsewhere.
    — Matthew MacConnell, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026
  • But governments are also aware that as ice melts in the coming decades, transit seasons could extend and additional routes can open up, such as a potential trans-polar route that avoids Russian coastlines altogether.
    — Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 14 Aug. 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
  • Hackers can alter the prescribed sequence of message exchanges in a way that bypasses authentication requirements.
    — Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 5 Aug. 2026
  • Some Tesla vehicles have Insane Mode, a driving feature that bypasses battery limitations and enables full torque delivery from a complete stop.
    — Charles Singh, USA Today, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of bypasses
Verb
  • Joe, for his part, ignores Nathan’s call before the guests arrive.
    — Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 18 Aug. 2026
  • With Sport on, the system mostly ignores the pneumatics altogether, prioritizing speed and power.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 17 Aug. 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 21 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on sidesteps

Nglish: Translation of sidesteps for Spanish Speakers

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