step out

verb

stepped out; stepping out; steps out

intransitive verb

1

: to go away from a place usually for a short distance and for a short time

2

: to go or march at a vigorous or increased pace

3

: die

4

: to lead an active social life

5

: to be unfaithful

—usually used with on

had been stepping out on his wife

Synonyms of step out

• cheat
• screw around
• play (around)

Examples of step out in a Sentence

if she catches him stepping out on her, she'll divorce him without a moment's hesitation

my greedy relatives are only being nice to me because they expect me to step out any time now

Recent Examples on the Web

Another witness stepped out of a vehicle to help the victim and disarmed one of the suspects, BPD said. —Colleen Cronin, Boston Herald, 18 Mar. 2026

Alice pushed through the sagebrush and stepped out of her shoes. —Literary Hub, 18 Mar. 2026

The senior royal, 44, stepped out to celebrate the holiday on Tuesday, March 17, with the Irish Guards, a regiment of the British army. —Anna Kaufman, USA Today, 17 Mar. 2026

The latest item to pass the test is The North Face’s ThermoBall Traction Mules, which first caught my eye when Kendall Jenner stepped out in a pair back in 2022. —Iman Balagam, InStyle, 16 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1533, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for step out

• about
• bailout
• blackout
• blowout
• breakout
• burnout
• buyout
• checkout
• closeout
• cutout
• devout
• dropout

Kids Definition

step out

verb

: to go away from a place usually for a short distance and for a short time