sidestep
Americanverb (used without object)
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sidesteps,
present (3rd person singular)
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sidestepped,
past participle, past
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sidestepping
present participle
-
to step to one side.
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to evade or avoid a decision, problem, or the like.
verb (used with object)
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sidesteps,
present (3rd person singular)
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sidestepped,
past participle, past
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sidestepping
present participle
-
to avoid or dodge by stepping aside.
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to evade or avoid (a decision, problem, or the like).
verb
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to step aside from or out of the way of (something)
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(tr) to dodge or circumvent
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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sidestepsimple
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sidestepssimple
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have sidesteppedperfect
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has sidesteppedperfect
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am sidesteppingprogressive
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are sidesteppingprogressive
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is sidesteppingprogressive
-
have been sidesteppingperfect progressive
-
has been sidesteppingperfect progressive
Past
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sidesteppedsimple
-
had sidesteppedperfect
-
was sidesteppingprogressive
-
were sidesteppingprogressive
-
had been sidesteppingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of sidestep
An Americanism dating back to 1900–05
Explanation
To sidestep something is to get around it by changing the subject or doing something else. If a little kid asks you where babies come from, you might sidestep the question by going to get ice cream. Very quickly. People sidestep questions all the time. When celebrities or politicians don’t want to talk about something, they sidestep reporters’ questions by answering in a long-winded, vague way — or by saying, "No comment." You can also sidestep in a more literal way by physically stepping around things, or stepping to the side in a dance or march. The military term was first used in the eighteenth century, and the figurative meaning followed around 1900.
Vocabulary lists containing sidestep
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.
See Examples For:
The device features a privacy recording light to notify wearers when it’s recording, but modifications available all over the internet allow users to sidestep it.
From Slate ● Aug. 5, 2026
The new study that found a way to sidestep those crashes was published in the Journal of Banking & Finance.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 9, 2026
The U.S. brokerage isn’t clear whether demand reflects genuine economic growth or if companies are pulling orders forward to sidestep upcoming tariffs and surcharges.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 30, 2026
Although the evaluators cited reasons to sidestep the Locke data, they never said it was wrong.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 16, 2026
I sidestep a group of loud-talking women outside the Luxe Beauty Parlor, and a tired old man with round shoulders.
From "Finding Langston" by Lesa Cline-Ransome
And since it never quotes the book directly, it sidesteps a lot of copyright headaches.
From Barron's ● Jul. 27, 2026
But thanks to Reid’s indefatigable charisma, this vampire sidesteps the resentment millions hold for real-life bloodsuckers by inviting us behind the velvet curtain.
From Salon ● Jun. 13, 2026
Every time a leader avoids a hard truth, sidesteps a real tension, or makes disagreement feel risky, you pay a hefty price.
From MarketWatch ● May 27, 2026
It sidesteps what people at my age know: that as time goes by, we lose many of the connections that once helped energize our younger selves.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 18, 2026
The parrot sidesteps from one end of his perch to the other, and back again.
From "Challenger Deep" by Neal Shusterman
Warsh repeatedly sidestepped questions Wednesday about the outlook and policy implications for the Fed.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 1, 2026
Cardrooms had since sidestepped the ban by giving players the option to take turns dealing the game and relying on third-party businesses to employ people who act as bankers.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 27, 2026
The Kremlin has sidestepped questions about the documentary in the wake of the Oscar win.
From BBC ● Mar. 26, 2026
Longboard’s clients have also sidestepped the recent software slump — Wilcox says they’ve been underweight the sector since 2022.
From MarketWatch ● Mar. 4, 2026
Too quickly, he sidestepped a confused-looking Fahim and made his way to the back of the worship hall and the halls that led into the rest of the temple.
From "Beasts of Prey" by Ayana Gray
I managed to hold it like that, balanced on the throttle, slithering and sidestepping, until I had to join the main straight.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 25, 2026
Cybersecurity experts say there’s more at risk than just sidestepping company policy.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 28, 2026
SpaceX would like to make it a much bigger business in the future via its plans for orbital data centers, sidestepping the limitations of land and power which are posing increasing obstacles for terrestrial facilities.
From Barron's ● Jun. 12, 2026
This potentially traumatic subplot is the closest “Renoir” gets to traditional suspense, but even here Hayakawa adopts a muted approach, sidestepping shock value for bittersweet commentary about young people’s confusion around love.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 5, 2026
Harry said, sidestepping Snape before Snape could speak, “Mr. Crouch is here — he’s down in the forest, he wants to speak to you!”
From "Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire" by J. K. Rowling
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
