STEPPING ASIDE (FROM) Synonyms: 47 Similar and Opposite Words

stepping aside (from)

verb

present participle of step aside (from)

as in leaving

to give up (a job or office) a newscaster who knew when it was time to step aside from the anchor desk and let a younger person take over

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in resigning

to give up (as a position of authority) formally the prime minister was compelled to step aside from his office when it was demonstrated that he had violated the public trust

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for stepping aside (from)

Verb

Pattison joined Ricochet more than two years ago after leaving the UK arm of Pooch Perfect outfit Beyond Productions.

— Max Goldbart, Deadline, 16 Oct. 2026
Ambulances were seen leaving the hospital to bring the children's bodies home as mourners wept and wailed.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of leaving

Verb

The 1989 Charlotte federal trial was pure spectacle Two years after resigning, Bakker was convicted in Charlotte on 24 counts of fraud and conspiracy.

— Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 6 Oct. 2026
Lee also announced Frank Strada, the commissioner of the Department of Correction, would be resigning later this month.

— Avni Trivedi, CNN Money, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of resigning

Verb

Theo was thinking about quitting his job to start his own business, which meant, for a time, no income.

— Joan Martelli, Time, 17 Oct. 2026
Of the men who were part of the original study's AAS-using cohort, 35 were still taking the drugs, while the remaining participants were in varying stages of quitting, long-term abstinence and relapse.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of quitting

Verb

With all the characters in the show, but with Margaret in particular, there’s this exploration of losing control, taking control and relinquishing control.

— Lexy Perez, HollywoodReporter, 11 Oct. 2026
One panel was falling, then smashing on the path, lead relinquishing its long grip on the glass.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 22 Sep. 2026

Definition of relinquishing

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Browse Nearby Words

stepping (along)

stepping aside (from)

stepping down

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Style

“Stepping aside (from).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stepping%20aside%20%28from%29. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of stepping aside (from)

verb

Example Sentences

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