sidestep

English

Etymology

From side +‎ step.

Noun

sidestep (plural sidesteps)

1. A step to the side.
2. A physical motion or metaphorical act to avoid or dodge something.

Verb

sidestep (third-person singular simple present sidesteps, present participle sidestepping, simple past and past participle sidestepped)

1. (intransitive) To step to the side.
   • 1955, Rex Stout, "Die Like a Dog", in Three Witnesses, October 1994 Bantam edition, →ISBN, page 180:

     I […] knocked and waited. […] He sidestepped, and I went in.

   • 2011 October 1, Clive Lindsay, “Kilmarnock 1 - 2 St Johnstone”, in BBC Sport‎^[1]:

     Kilmarnock ought to have taken the lead on the stroke of half-time when Hefferman set up Kroca and, although the defender neatly sidestepped his marker, he fired straight into the chest of Enckelman.

2. (transitive, figurative) To avoid or dodge.

   They sidestepped the issue.

   • 1960 November, “Talking of Trains: That engine change at Crewe”, in Trains Illustrated, page 641:

     It was noticeable that he sidestepped questions about continuation south of Crewe, on the grounds that he must await the report of Sir Ivan Stedeford's Advisory Group.

Translations

to step to the side

• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Bulgarian: отстъпвам настрани (otstǎpvam nastrani)

(figurative) to avoid or dodge

• Bulgarian: страня (bg) (stranja), избягвам (bg) (izbjagvam)
• Italian: eludere (it)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Maori: wheta, karo

Anagrams

• despites, seed pits, stepside