sidestep
Americanverb (used without object)
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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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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
- sidestepper noun
Etymology
Origin of sidestep
An Americanism dating back to 1900–05
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.
Some schools follow them enthusiastically, while others soften or sidestep them.
From BBC
Saudi Arabia’s efforts to sidestep the standstill at the Strait of Hormuz appear to be bearing fruit.
From MarketWatch
As long as the U.S. economy sidesteps recession, the card companies can see the sales and earnings growth come in.
From Barron's
When she sidestepped the newcomer, it took me a moment to register who it was.
From Literature
One way to sidestep Europe and Asia’s energy problems is to focus on the Americas, where nations like Mexico and Brazil are energy giants in their own right.
From Barron's
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.
