The phrase "avoid stepping up" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when discussing the act of not taking on more responsibility or not increasing one's involvement in a situation.
Example: "In times of crisis, some individuals may choose to avoid stepping up and instead let others take the lead."
Alternatives: "refrain from taking charge" or "stay back from leading".
In a bizarre turn of phrase Katz, Caplan, and Merz conclude from this practice that "Similarly, medical professionals ought to step up to the plate... in a way that minimizes the intrusion of avoidable conflicting interests". Medical professionals should not seek "to minimize" but "to avoid" stepping up to the plate altogether.
It's a backwards power grab -- they avoid being powerful (and responsible!) in their own lives, and instead get their power from the validation of others, currying favors and winning the badge of martyr that allows them to avoid stepping up to the plate.
The rebels have changed their tactics, hiding among the civilian population to avoid attack and stepping up their use of explosives, the BBC Colombia correspondent Jeremy McDermott says.
The NFL's best quarterbacks are capable of avoiding pressure and stepping up in the pocket to make plays.
I avoided stepping on it even barefoot.
Foremost among these faults was Brady's obvious discomfort when stepping up to avoid the pass rush.
Ryan capped the opening drive by stepping up to avoid the pressure, flipping a short pass to Jones, then watching the rookie turn on an impressive burst of speed for a 29-yard touchdown.
These include raising the tax rate on capital gains, which is lower than that on ordinary income, and taxing capital gains at death — rather than allowing heirs to avoid embedded capital gains tax by stepping up their cost basis upon the bequest.
A key behavioural barrier is that there are incentives for stepping up in crisis, but none for avoiding crises.
"That's really stepping up".
