noun
Meaning 1
A step to the side.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Standard Lemma guide
sidestep
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
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/ˈsaɪdˌstɛp/
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Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
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CMU ARPABET: S AY1 D S T EH2 P Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
noun
Meaning 2
A physical motion or metaphorical act to avoid or dodge something.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 3
To step to the side.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: intransitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 4
To avoid or dodge.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: figuratively, transitive
Examples
- They sidestepped the issue.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 5
a step to one side (as in boxing or dancing)
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: step
verb
Meaning 6
avoid or try to avoid fulfilling, answering, or performing (duties, questions, or issues)
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- He dodged the issue
- she skirted the problem
- They tend to evade their responsibilities
- he evaded the questions skillfully
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: hedge, fudge, evade, put off, circumvent, parry, elude, skirt, dodge, duck
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: avoid
Narrower terms: beg, quibble
History
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *seh1-der. Proto-Germanic *sīdaz Proto-Germanic *sīdǭ Old English sīde Middle English side English side English step English sidestep From side + step.
Across languages
Translations
16 source translations are retained for this English entry.
- Bulgarian: отстъпвам настрани (otstǎpvam nastrani) — to step to the side
- German: ausweichen — to step to the side
- German: ausspielen — to step to the side
- Spanish: ladear — to step to the side
- Welsh: ochrgamu — to step to the side
- Bulgarian: страня (stranja) — (figurative) to avoid or dodge
- Bulgarian: избягвам (izbjagvam) — (figurative) to avoid or dodge
- Chinese Mandarin: 規避 /规避 (guībì) — (figurative) to avoid or dodge
- Chinese Mandarin: 迴避 /回避 (huíbì) — (figurative) to avoid or dodge
- German: ausweichen — (figurative) to avoid or dodge
- German: vermeiden — (figurative) to avoid or dodge
- Italian: eludere — (figurative) to avoid or dodge
- Māori: wheta — (figurative) to avoid or dodge
- Māori: karo — (figurative) to avoid or dodge
- Spanish: soslayar — (figurative) to avoid or dodge
- Welsh: ochrgamu — (figurative) to avoid or dodge