step aside

verb

stepped aside; stepping aside; steps aside

intransitive verb

: to withdraw from one's position or occupation : step down

Synonyms

• bag
• chuck
• leave
• quit
• resign (from)
• retire (from)
• step down (from)

Examples of step aside in a Sentence

a newscaster who knew when it was time to step aside from the anchor desk and let a younger person take over

the prime minister was compelled to step aside from his office when it was demonstrated that he had violated the public trust

Recent Examples on the Web

Developments in the case The arguments before Cannon unfolded a day after the New York Times reported that the judge was reportedly asked by two other Southern District of Florida judges to step aside from the case in favor of a more experienced jurist. —David Lyons, Sun Sentinel, 21 June 2024

Has the queen-to-be of country music abdicated even before Loretta Lynn stepped aside? —Robert Windeler, Peoplemag, 15 June 2024

Critics want Alito to step aside from Trump election cases after new bombshell reports say an upside-down American flag was raised outside the judge’s home in suburban Virginia in the days after Jan. 6. —Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 14 June 2024

Apparently for many parents, stepping aside in subsequent years doesn’t feel natural either. —Melissa Willets, Parents, 13 June 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1949, in the meaning defined above