SIDESTEPS Synonyms: 53 Similar and Opposite Words

sidesteps

verb

present tense third-person singular of sidestep

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

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 Kennedy’s new rule sidesteps the need to formally undo that FDA action. — Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 28 Oct. 2026 The delay leaves unpopular Palestinian Authority leaders in place and sidesteps a potential opposition alliance, as Palestinians have not voted in a legislative election since Hamas won in 2006. — Sam Metz, Los Angeles Times, 11 Oct. 2026 Richard sidesteps that question by emphasizing the intimacy of her blends rather than their novelty. — Stephen Kearse, Pitchfork, 9 Oct. 2026 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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for sidesteps

Verb

Saudi Arabia's crucial East-West pipeline that circumvents the Strait of Hormuz is pumping oil at its full capacity of 7 million barrels a day, according to a person familiar with the matter.

— Sam Meredith, CNBC, 15 Sep. 2026
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

Definition of circumvents

Verb

This new design weaves the electricity-generating action of polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) into the bristles themselves.

— Mike McRae, New Atlas, 4 Nov. 2026
The fantasy film about a woman (Olivia Colman) who weaves a perfect lover (Alexander Skarsgård) out of the titular material is one of the happy box office surprises of Q4 so far.

— Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 2 Nov. 2026

Definition of weaves

Verb

Grand hotels can often feel daunting with small children in tow, but Badrutt confidently avoids that trap.

— Fergus Scholes, TheWeek, 3 Nov. 2026
Storing these propellants in their gaseous forms retains them in a less dense form but avoids the complexity of storage at cryogenic temperatures.

— Eric Berger, ArsTechnica, 3 Nov. 2026

Definition of avoids

Verb

Baksheng leaves behind a family and then creates a new one with other Teochew emigrants at an inn run by a feminist daughter, Zia Lamgi (Li Sitong) who dodges a revolving door of suitors.

— Randy Myers, Mercury News, 3 Sep. 2026
West Orange dodges a huge bullet as Hoban’s John Johnson drops a wide open pass that would’ve been an 80 yard touchdown.

— Buddy Collings, The Orlando Sentinel, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of dodges

Verb

Neither of those interpretations would be entirely invalid, exactly, and yet The Basics of Philosophy — ironically enough, given its title — mostly evades any such moral didacticism.

— Richard Lawson, HollywoodReporter, 4 Sep. 2026
Journalists and negotiators follow up when someone evades the point.

— Harvard Business Review, Harvard Business Review, 2 Sep. 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

This means the One-All bypasses complex, costly safety barriers like airbags and crash-testing certifications that are needed for passenger cars.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 7 Nov. 2026
In his desire to please Jurek, Karl constantly bypasses Riverside protocol without alerting security.

— Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 30 Oct. 2026

Definition of bypasses

Browse Nearby Words

sidestepping

sidesteps

side street

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Cite this Entry

Style

“Sidesteps.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sidesteps. Accessed 8 Nov. 2026.

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Synonyms of sidesteps

verb

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