1
as in to leave
to give up (a job or office)
a newscaster who knew when it was time to step aside from the anchor desk and let a younger person take over
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to resign
to give up (as a position of authority) formally
the prime minister was compelled to step aside from his office when it was demonstrated that he had violated the public trust
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for step aside (from)
Verb
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The newest Chinese subs are not believed to be as quiet as US ones, leaving the stealth advantage to the US Navy.—
Brad Lendon,
CNN Money,
17 Feb. 2026 -
Homan said that immigration operations will continue even as additional agents leave the state.—
Conor Wight,
CBS News,
16 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Pressure on British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is growing, after another key aide resigned over revelations about Epstein’s contact with a senior politician.—
Prashant Rao,
semafor.com,
16 Feb. 2026
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Wetzel replaces Donnie Yantis, who in January resigned as head coach after four seasons at the private school.—
Greg Riddle,
Dallas Morning News,
16 Feb. 2026
Verb
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McDuffie is highly unlikely to generate the same return that, say, cornerback Sauce Gardner did just three months ago — the Colts relinquished two first-round picks and wide receiver Adonai Mitchell to the New York Jets in exchange for Gardner.—
Sam McDowell
February 20,
Kansas City Star,
20 Feb. 2026
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Riley was the head coach and team president for the Heat’s first NBA championship in 2006 before relinquishing those duties to Spoelstra in 2008.—
Anthony Chiang,
Miami Herald,
20 Feb. 2026
Verb
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As systems act more autonomously and with greater speed, humans would be tempted to abdicate decision making in order to leverage their power.—
Deb Roy,
The Atlantic,
15 Feb. 2026
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Healey has clearly decided to abdicate her responsibility to protect taxpayer money.—
Joe Battenfeld,
Boston Herald,
7 Feb. 2026
Verb
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In one of the most improbable comebacks in the history of figure skating, Alysa Liu of the United States, who quit the sport after the 2022 Beijing Olympics, reclaimed her career on her own joyous terms and won the gold medal in the women’s competition on Thursday at the Milan-Cortina Games.—
Bora Erden,
New York Times,
20 Feb. 2026
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For those trips where winter refuses to quit, this cozy knit set is the answer.—
Chaise Sanders,
Travel + Leisure,
20 Feb. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Step aside (from).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/step%20aside%20%28from%29. Accessed 22 Feb. 2026.
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