sidestep
verb (used without object)
to step to one side.
had sidestepped
-
past perfectof sidestep.past perfect
Used to express a completed action that took place before another specific past action occurred.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"Prior to that, she had sidestepped the firing line of the controversy around Epstein and I think may have continued to do so, albeit without calling herself Duchess of York, had that not happened."
From BBC ● Oct. 18, 2025
The plaintiffs’ chief lawyer, Jim Durham, a former acting U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Georgia, argued that all three companies had sidestepped their regulatory obligations.
From New York Times ● Mar. 1, 2023
"Of course this line of research is not 'recognized' as a science in our state," Askey wrote, explaining that she had sidestepped hearings that would have been required to assess the method's legitimacy.
From Salon ● Jan. 1, 2023
Tokyo and the IOC had sidestepped concerns about Tokyo’s high summer temperatures when bidding for and awarding the Games to the Japanese capital in 2013.
From Washington Post ● Nov. 1, 2019
He had sidestepped the abyss yet one more time.
From "The House of the Spirits: A Novel" by Isabel Allende
