sidestep

English

Etymology

From side +‎ step.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ˈsaɪdˌstɛp/

Noun

sidestep (plural sidesteps)

A step to the side.
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)

(intransitive) To step to the side.
- 1955 October, Rex Stout, “Die Like a Dog”, in Three Witnesses, Bantam, published 1994, →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.
(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.
- 2022 May 5, Kara Scannell and Zachary Cohen, “DOJ unwinds complex web in hunt for Russian wealth belonging to Putin and influential players”, in CNN‎^[2]:
  Adams repeatedly sidestepped questions about whether the Justice Department is taking specific steps to seize assets belonging to Putin but suggested that prosecutors have mapped out how the Russian President and wealthy kleptocrats are attempting to hide their money.

Translations

to step to the side

Bulgarian: отстъпвам настрани (otstǎpvam nastrani)
German: ausweichen (de), ausspielen (de) (football)
Welsh: ochrgamu (cy)

(figurative) to avoid or dodge

Bulgarian: страня (bg) (stranja), избягвам (bg) (izbjagvam)
German: ausweichen (de), vermeiden (de)
Italian: eludere (it)
Maori: wheta, karo
Welsh: ochrgamu (cy)

Anagrams

despites, seed pits, stepside