step aside
Idioms-
Move out of the way, as in Please step aside—I've got my arms full of groceries . This usage was first recorded in 1530.
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Withdraw, make room for a replacement, as in The senior researcher decided to step aside for a younger colleague . [Second half of 1900s]
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.
It will also cover "why I chose to run for reelection, and why I chose to step aside," Biden said.
From Barron's ● Jul. 15, 2026
His decades in Washington gave him unmatched institutional knowledge and influence, but his health concerns also raised questions about whether political institutions have adequate ways to evaluate when leaders should step aside.
From Salon ● Jul. 12, 2026
Meanwhile, the Maine Democratic Party also called on him to step aside.
From BBC ● Jul. 7, 2026
Members of Congress have rescinded their endorsements, and ideological allies like Sanders and New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani have urged him to step aside.
From Slate ● Jul. 7, 2026
If I step aside for a second, they come surging forward, tripping over themselves to ask her to dance.
From "X: A Novel" by Ilyasah Shabazz
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.
