stepping stone
noun
variants
or less commonly stepping-stone
plural stepping stones also stepping-stones
1
: a stone on which to step (as in crossing a stream or following a path)
We filled our water bottles in a large, clear lake set in smooth granite, crossed a stream using stepping stones, and started up a winding path that rose to a series of switchbacks.—
Joshua Rothman
Joshua RothmanAs in a Japanese garden, where stepping-stones force you to savor your stroll, you must watch every step and wind your way around the Japanese pines and beach grasses.—Stephen Drucker
Stephen Drucker2
: a means of progress or advancement
a stepping stone to success
But now many more see a political job as a stepping stone to money, power and influence.—Barbara Gamarekian
Barbara GamarekianEach person I talked to was to be a stepping-stone to the overall plan. It was my job to educate them so they would take their natural places in the plan.—Jane Smiley
Jane SmileyExamples of stepping stone in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
But for Katie Gold and Yu Jiang of Cornell University, a smart robot that can monitor crop health better and more safely than any human is only a stepping stone to something cosmically larger.
—Hope Hodge Seck, USA Today, 30 Apr. 2025
But for many, the ultimate goal is something bigger—using education as a stepping stone to long-term residency and, in some cases, a second passport.
—Laura Begley Bloom, Forbes.com, 26 Apr. 2025
Once seen as a stepping stone to homeownership, renting is now a lifestyle choice for many financially savvy professionals.
—Jasmine Browley, Essence, 3 Apr. 2025
While Apple continues to iterate on its Vision Pro headset, these efforts are seen as stepping stones toward the ultimate goal of AR glasses.
—Charlie Fink, Forbes.com, 18 Apr. 2025
In a move that relegated Asuka to an afterthought, Flair decisively defeated her on SmackDown, using Asuka's championship reign as a mere stepping stone towards the unification match at WrestleMania, where Asuka ultimately became a forgettable participant in the women's battle royal.
—David Faris, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Apr. 2025
The agreements, if implemented, would represent the clearest progress yet towards a wider ceasefire that Washington sees as a stepping stone towards peace talks to bring an end to Russia's three-year-old war in Ukraine.
—USA TODAY, 25 Mar. 2025
While most people see obstacles as roadblocks, top performers view them as stepping stones to success.
—Carrie Anne Yu, Forbes.com, 3 Apr. 2025
This ornamental thyme can be used to fill in the sandy spaces between stepping stones or crevices in rock walls.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 31 Mar. 2025
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Hope Hodge Seck, USA Today, 30 Apr. 2025
But for many, the ultimate goal is something bigger—using education as a stepping stone to long-term residency and, in some cases, a second passport.
—Laura Begley Bloom, Forbes.com, 26 Apr. 2025
Once seen as a stepping stone to homeownership, renting is now a lifestyle choice for many financially savvy professionals.
—Jasmine Browley, Essence, 3 Apr. 2025
While Apple continues to iterate on its Vision Pro headset, these efforts are seen as stepping stones toward the ultimate goal of AR glasses.
—Charlie Fink, Forbes.com, 18 Apr. 2025
In a move that relegated Asuka to an afterthought, Flair decisively defeated her on SmackDown, using Asuka's championship reign as a mere stepping stone towards the unification match at WrestleMania, where Asuka ultimately became a forgettable participant in the women's battle royal.
—David Faris, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Apr. 2025
The agreements, if implemented, would represent the clearest progress yet towards a wider ceasefire that Washington sees as a stepping stone towards peace talks to bring an end to Russia's three-year-old war in Ukraine.
—USA TODAY, 25 Mar. 2025
While most people see obstacles as roadblocks, top performers view them as stepping stones to success.
—Carrie Anne Yu, Forbes.com, 3 Apr. 2025
This ornamental thyme can be used to fill in the sandy spaces between stepping stones or crevices in rock walls.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 31 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Stepping stone.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stepping%20stone. Accessed 3 May. 2025.
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