sidestepping 1 of 2

noun

as in bypassing

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sidestepping

2 of 2

verb

present participle of sidestep
1
as in circumventing
to avoid having to comply with (something) especially through cleverness the eager enlistee sidestepped the regulations by lying about his age

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in ducking
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 sidestepping
Noun
One was the very clear sidestepping of Palestinian sovereignty, and the second was the issue of Iran. — Isaac Chotiner, New Yorker, 11 Mar. 2026 Critics called the change an unjustified, undemocratic sidestepping of the state constitution and the will of voters. — Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times, 1 July 2026
Verb
Critics say the administration is sidestepping a law that has shaped Washington’s skyline for more than a century. — Dan Diamond, Washington Post, 19 June 2026 By sidestepping the partisan fray in his commercial songs, Foster was able to achieve widespread popularity. — Christopher Lynch, The Conversation, 1 July 2026 Artists have canceled shows at the Smithsonian and elsewhere, and some exhibits are sidestepping the president’s war on DEI. — Isabel Ruehl, The Atlantic, 25 June 2026 The results indicate that officers were often sidestepping explicitly asking for search consent, in favor of veiled and passive language that was difficult for people to understand in real time. — Robert Salonga, Mercury News, 17 June 2026 Surrounded by trees and mountain landscapes, the transparent structure delivers the atmosphere of an outdoor wedding while sidestepping many of the logistical headaches that come with weather-dependent venues. — Yelena Moroz Alpert, Architectural Digest, 31 May 2026 PortaSplit’s outdoor unit clips onto a window bracket, needs no drilling, and is classified as furniture rather than a fixture — sidestepping facade-modification bans in cities like Paris. — Anniek Bao,evelyn Cheng, CNBC, 2 July 2026 Not only will O'Neil's sidestepping of questions fuel the fire, but the circuit's next event on the calendar is not scheduled until July 23-26 in the United Kingdom, leaving ample time for reports and rumors to drum up even more uncertainty. — Mark Harris Outkick, FOXNews.com, 9 June 2026 That pitch dovetails with SPAN’s latest smart devices aimed at helping grid operators manage growing electrical loads without costly power infrastructure upgrades—sidestepping the need to pass on infrastructure investment costs to customers through higher utility bills. — Jeremy Hsu, ArsTechnica, 12 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sidestepping
  1. bypassing
  2. circumventing
  3. ducking
  4. skirting
  5. avoiding
  6. weaving
  7. circumvention
  8. evading
Noun
  • After weeks of testing, Fable 5 is no longer vulnerable to a bypassing method discovered by Amazon researchers that identified several software vulnerabilities and triggered the export curbs.
    — Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 1 July 2026
  • Assistive listening studies report that bypassing room acoustics and delivering audio directly can improve signal‑to‑noise ratios by 15–20 dB, making announcements comprehensible and lectures clearer [8].
    — IEEE Spectrum, IEEE Spectrum, 26 Feb. 2026
Definition of bypassing
Verb
  • Australia doubled the maximum penalty imposed on social media companies that fail to comply with the ban on under-16 users, as evidence grew that children are circumventing restrictions.
    — Tom Chivers, semafor.com, 30 June 2026
  • Another means of circumventing the protection of the real property company is through veil piercing using an alter ego theory.
    — Jay Adkisson, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026
Definition of circumventing
Verb
  • Some of them wear face paint, camouflage uniforms, and ghillie suits — ducking in and out of foxholes cut into the ground.
    — Avery Schmitz, CNN Money, 24 June 2026
  • Guests can walk along the nearby Rim Village Promenade before ducking into its lobby to enjoy the cozy fireplace, Mission furniture, and tree trunk columns.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 June 2026
Definition of ducking
Noun
  • Yet by skirting and at times ignoring those rules, ride-sharing companies were able to acquire a critical mass of users in a short period of time.
    — Benjamin Mazer, The Atlantic, 17 June 2026
  • The Dominator 3, at its base a Ford F-350, features an armored shell and skirting designed to keep winds from lifting the vehicle; strong windows, equipment for tracking weather data and a hydraulic spike system used to anchor the vehicle to the ground.
    — Nathan Pilling, Kansas City Star, 5 Sep. 2025
Definition of skirting
Verb
  • There are pros and cons to trying to build strategies based on avoiding specific companies, noted Warren Hurt, chief investment officer at F&M Trust.
    — John Towfighi, CNN Money, 7 July 2026
  • Still, avoiding a direct conversation will only increase the pressure.
    — Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 6 July 2026
Definition of avoiding
Verb
  • Following the mini concert, attendees dispersed across the property, gathering around a massive outdoor fireplace and weaving through the home’s stylish interiors.
    — Vogue, Vogue, 6 July 2026
  • Some riders gallivant and whoosh past bystanders, weaving in and out and putting surrounding passersby on edge.
    — Doug Turnbull, AJC.com, 5 July 2026
Definition of weaving
Noun
  • Yet most will only remember that Leonard’s tenure in the City of Angels netted zero Larry O’Brien trophies and instead plenty of load management and one ongoing salary cap circumvention investigation.
    — Joaquin Ruiz, Los Angeles Times, 30 June 2026
  • However, the fun police in the NBA’s legal department would (correctly) view this is as blatant cap circumvention, and would not treat this as a laughing matter.
    — John Hollinger, New York Times, 29 June 2026
Definition of circumvention
Verb
  • The suspect, 30‑year‑old Trevion Mark of Fort Worth, was arrested nearby without incident and charged with reckless endangerment and evading arrest in a motor vehicle, according to DPS.
    — Doug Myers, CBS News, 1 July 2026
  • Mark was charged with reckless endangerment and evading arrest in a motor vehicle and booked into the Tarrant County Jail.
    — Kamal Morgan, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 1 July 2026
Definition of evading

Browse Nearby Words

sidestepped
sidestepping
sidesteps
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Cite this Entry

“Sidestepping.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sidestepping. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of sidestepping for Spanish Speakers

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