sidewards
In crab direction
Sidewards means toward or to the side, moving laterally rather than forward or backward: She stepped sidewards to let him pass.
The word is interchangeable with sideways, though sideways is far more common in modern usage.
Sidewards appears more often in British English.
Of the side
- sidelongDirected to one side
- crosswiseAt right angles
- transverseExtending sideways across
- obliqueAngled, not straightforward
askew · aslant · flanking · broadside · crabwise · athwart · abreast · alongside
Avoid by quick movement
Smooth continuous movement
Angled, not straightforward
- tangentialBarely connected to main point
- circuitousIndirect, winding path
- roundaboutCircular junction for traffic
- peripheralExternal computer add-on
veiled · allusive · elliptical · covert · subtle · evasive · noncommittal · cagey
lateral
Of the side
- sidelongDirected to one side
- crosswiseAt right angles
- transverseExtending sideways across
oblique · askew · aslant · flanking · broadside · crabwise · athwart · abreast · alongside · adjacent
dodge
Avoid by quick movement
duck · weave · jink · parry · deflect · deke · bob · veer · zigzag · outmaneuver
slide
Smooth continuous movement
sidle · sashay · drift · sway · edge · nudge · budge · shift · slip · shimmy
oblique
Angled, not straightforward
- tangentialBarely connected to main point
- circuitousIndirect, winding path
- roundaboutCircular junction for traffic
peripheral · veiled · allusive · elliptical · covert · subtle · evasive · noncommittal · cagey · sly