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
This new development, however, completely sidesteps that problem by abandoning conventional mechanics and using laser light for gear motion.
—
Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 18 Sep. 2025
Second, structure it in familiar legal language so that supervisors recognize it as a security or other traditional instrument, and only then represent it in tokens; this approach sidesteps unproductive security-versus-utility debates while ensuring that investor protections remain intact.
—Juan Arroyo, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025
Despite the glossy subject matter, Winocour neatly sidesteps clichés, instead searching for quiet moments that give the story emotional resonance.
—Joelle Diderich, Footwear News, 5 Sep. 2025
Tatum sidesteps a question about whether joining Marvel now — at a moment when many industry observers think the brand is past its peak — made sense.
—Daniel D'addario, Variety, 2 Sep. 2025
This is mission creep in action—by breaking the police state’s hostile takeover of the country and our Constitution into a series off incremental moves, the administration sidesteps the broad public backlash that a single, sweeping declaration of martial law would provoke.
—John Whitehead, Oc Register, 16 Aug. 2025
However, critics argue that the project sidesteps the real crisis facing New York City.
—Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 6 Aug. 2025
Perhaps not, but King of the Hill sidesteps this line of inquiry by presenting the Aramco base, as seen in flashback later in the episode, as what Hank imagines life to be like in the ’50s.
—Genevieve Koski, Vulture, 4 Aug. 2025
Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 18 Sep. 2025
Second, structure it in familiar legal language so that supervisors recognize it as a security or other traditional instrument, and only then represent it in tokens; this approach sidesteps unproductive security-versus-utility debates while ensuring that investor protections remain intact.
—Juan Arroyo, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025
Despite the glossy subject matter, Winocour neatly sidesteps clichés, instead searching for quiet moments that give the story emotional resonance.
—Joelle Diderich, Footwear News, 5 Sep. 2025
Tatum sidesteps a question about whether joining Marvel now — at a moment when many industry observers think the brand is past its peak — made sense.
—Daniel D'addario, Variety, 2 Sep. 2025
This is mission creep in action—by breaking the police state’s hostile takeover of the country and our Constitution into a series off incremental moves, the administration sidesteps the broad public backlash that a single, sweeping declaration of martial law would provoke.
—John Whitehead, Oc Register, 16 Aug. 2025
However, critics argue that the project sidesteps the real crisis facing New York City.
—Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 6 Aug. 2025
Perhaps not, but King of the Hill sidesteps this line of inquiry by presenting the Aramco base, as seen in flashback later in the episode, as what Hank imagines life to be like in the ’50s.
—Genevieve Koski, Vulture, 4 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sidesteps
Verb
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But the Free Speech Coalition said companies might still be liable if a user in a state requiring age verification circumvents geographic targeting with a VPN.—
Jasmine Mithani,
Them.,
3 Sep. 2025
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Unfortunately, this entire process circumvents the necessary regulatory and congressional oversight processes.—
DP Opinion,
Denver Post,
19 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Old Hickory Lake, part of the Cumberland River, weaves through Hendersonville.—
Audrey Gibbs,
Nashville Tennessean,
3 Oct. 2025
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The charcoal drawing Anoma Kole Kole, 2023–24, for instance, skillfully weaves a blueprint of colonial infrastructure with images of the Africans who built transit systems.—
Edna Bonhomme,
Artforum,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
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As long as Lagway avoids turnovers, the Gators will have a chance in the fourth quarter to steal a big SEC win.—
Matt Hayes,
USA TODAY,
3 Oct. 2025
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Supporting Jones with a stingy defense and a run-heavy offense that ensures balance and avoids placing too much pressure on the quarterback’s shoulders, Steichen has the Colts atop the AFC South standings with a 3-1 record.—
Mike Jones,
New York Times,
2 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Ahmed stars as Ash, an anonymous broker who dodges that Orwellian surveillance to help sketchy companies and whistleblowers come to an agreement.—
Meredith G. White,
AZCentral.com,
27 Aug. 2025
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The iRobot Roomba Essential quietly cleans the floors, dodges furniture like it’s lived here forever, and empties itself when it’s done.—
Juhi Wadia,
PC Magazine,
10 Aug. 2025
Verb
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For now, love evades understanding—which means that finding someone will remain, much of the time, a pain in the ass.—
Faith Hill,
The Atlantic,
27 Sep. 2025
-
Oh plays Eve, a deskbound MI-5 agent who longs to be a spy in the field, a dream that is soon realized when a mutual obsession develops between her and a sadistic, sociopathic assassin (Jodie Comer) who always evades capture.—
Vulture Editors,
Vulture,
24 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The way a Newfoundland dog carefully ducks his head to avoid getting bumped by a car trunk has captured hearts across the internet.—
Lydia Patrick,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The expansion includes a new three-lane roadway that bypasses North Harbor Drive and delivers drivers to Terminals 1 and 2 as well as parking garages.—
Roxana Popescu,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
24 Sep. 2025
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This type of prompt injection bypasses human awareness and targets the AI's decision-making directly.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
20 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The data analysis also ignores injuries and property destruction in non-fatal attacks as measures of political violence.—
Mia Cathell,
The Washington Examiner,
22 Sep. 2025
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But his mother constantly overshares, has no privacy filters on her accounts and ignores our requests to avoid posting our children’s names or our birthdays.—
Liz Weston,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
21 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sidesteps.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sidesteps. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.
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