1
as in to circumvent
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 sidestep
Medicare is still prohibited by law from covering medications for weight loss; the Biden administration recently proposed a rule to sidestep that law, but the Trump administration would need to approve it.
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Sarah Zhang, The Atlantic, 12 Dec. 2024
Some are pointing at Turkey, which allegedly sidestepped the Astana peace process and went behind Russia’s back to sponsor the HTS rebel offensive that overran Damascus last weekend.
—Fred Weir, The Christian Science Monitor, 11 Dec. 2024
Rather than set itself up for a losing battle of expectations against those stores, Amazon is simply sidestepping it.
—Jennifer Pattison Tuohy, The Verge, 22 Nov. 2024
By not acting as a broker dealer (an ATS is), the structure wisely sidesteps the Securities and Exchange Commission ATS compliance regulations.
—Barnet Sherman, Forbes, 11 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for sidestep 
Sarah Zhang, The Atlantic, 12 Dec. 2024
Some are pointing at Turkey, which allegedly sidestepped the Astana peace process and went behind Russia’s back to sponsor the HTS rebel offensive that overran Damascus last weekend.
—Fred Weir, The Christian Science Monitor, 11 Dec. 2024
Rather than set itself up for a losing battle of expectations against those stores, Amazon is simply sidestepping it.
—Jennifer Pattison Tuohy, The Verge, 22 Nov. 2024
By not acting as a broker dealer (an ATS is), the structure wisely sidesteps the Securities and Exchange Commission ATS compliance regulations.
—Barnet Sherman, Forbes, 11 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for sidestep
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sidestep
Verb
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Some experts put the total number of Russia’s shadow vessels at more than 1,000, though significantly fewer are used by Russia to regularly circumvent sanctions, the institute’s analysis found.Michael Schwirtz, New York Times, 28 Dec. 2024
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Skilled users can circumvent these safeguards through clever prompting or exploit vulnerabilities in less secure models, underscoring the need for ongoing vigilance and refinement in AI safety measures.Bankim Chandra, Forbes, 23 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Auroras are ribbons of light weaving across Earth's northern or southern polar regions, according to NASA.Chad Murphy, The Enquirer, 31 Dec. 2024
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Nonproliferation is deeply woven into U.S. foreign policy.Robert E. Kelly, Foreign Affairs, 30 Dec. 2024
Verb
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People should also avoid consuming raw milk or raw meat products.Susanne Rust, Los Angeles Times, 1 Jan. 2025
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The brand emphasizes the use of real fruit juices and natural flavors, avoiding artificial additives, with flavors like a sparkling apple sour cherry mocktail.Rachel King, Forbes, 1 Jan. 2025
Verb
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The players can’t duck the blame, either, as their season-long inability to play complementary football came to a head in the worst way.James Boyd, The Athletic, 29 Dec. 2024
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Webb ducked his head out of frame for much of the hearing but could be seen rocking back and forth.Liam Rappleye, Detroit Free Press, 28 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Russian companies are using bitcoin to evade Western sanctions, thanks to a new law, the country's Finance Minister Anton Siluanov confirmed in a television interview.Dan Primack, Axios, 25 Dec. 2024
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While The Recruiter evades him, Gi-hun manages to snatch the Squid Game calling card from the would-be contestant.Kayti Burt, TIME, 24 Dec. 2024
Verb
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After ten days of cruising Antarctic waters, dodging icebergs, and spotting elephant seals, the cruise’s 140 passengers could toss their Dramamine, catch a plane from the gravel runway at Frei Station research base, and fly straight back to Chile.Blair Braverman, Condé Nast Traveler, 24 Dec. 2024
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The hospital, perched atop a hill just south of downtown Asheville, dodged flooding that submerged much of Buncombe County.Beth Warren, The Tennessean, 20 Dec. 2024
Verb
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The Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office is launching an investigation into employees’ use of Google Chat after critics claimed the auto-deleting messages allowed officials to bypass their own policy and the California Public Records Act.Barnini Chakraborty, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 23 Dec. 2024
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Unsuspecting visitors might bypass Little Moir's Food Shack, but locals are more than happy to wait for a table.Kara Franker, Southern Living, 23 Dec. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near sidestep
Cite this Entry
“Sidestep.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sidestep. Accessed 5 Jan. 2025.
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