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
Embracing rejection is about harnessing it as a stepping stone to meaningful development.
—Cheryl Robinson, Forbes.com, 22 July 2025
The announcement is the latest stepping stone of a 2021 $2.3 billion partnership dubbed Ultium Cells.
—Stuart Dyos, The Tennessean, 18 July 2025
For nostalgia reasons, that's a bummer, but my kids have grown up hopping around the stepping stones in my garden and looking for geckos among the rocks and that's cool, too.
—Michael Barnes, Austin American Statesman, 2 July 2025
Each day of practice and every competition is a stepping stone toward the long-term goal of returning to the Olympics in 2028.
—Kansas City Star, 11 July 2025
OneRepublic founding member Tim Myers announced a run for Lieutenant Governor of the Golden State July 7, throwing his hat in the ring for a position generally viewed as a stepping stone to the governorship.
—Anna Kaufman, USA Today, 11 July 2025
The myth persists in Florida that being L.G. is a stepping stone to greater political things, even though history shows the opposite is usually true.
—Steve Bousquet, The Orlando Sentinel, 6 July 2025
Many stepping stones were necessary to achieve this 2025 title, beginning with the blockbuster deal in the 2019 offseason to bring Shai Gilgeous-Alexander into the organization, along with five first-round picks and two pick swaps.
—Shane Young, Forbes.com, 24 June 2025
Juneteenth was a major stepping stone—but not the end of the story.
—Danielle Broadway, Parents, 18 June 2025
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Cheryl Robinson, Forbes.com, 22 July 2025
The announcement is the latest stepping stone of a 2021 $2.3 billion partnership dubbed Ultium Cells.
—Stuart Dyos, The Tennessean, 18 July 2025
For nostalgia reasons, that's a bummer, but my kids have grown up hopping around the stepping stones in my garden and looking for geckos among the rocks and that's cool, too.
—Michael Barnes, Austin American Statesman, 2 July 2025
Each day of practice and every competition is a stepping stone toward the long-term goal of returning to the Olympics in 2028.
—Kansas City Star, 11 July 2025
OneRepublic founding member Tim Myers announced a run for Lieutenant Governor of the Golden State July 7, throwing his hat in the ring for a position generally viewed as a stepping stone to the governorship.
—Anna Kaufman, USA Today, 11 July 2025
The myth persists in Florida that being L.G. is a stepping stone to greater political things, even though history shows the opposite is usually true.
—Steve Bousquet, The Orlando Sentinel, 6 July 2025
Many stepping stones were necessary to achieve this 2025 title, beginning with the blockbuster deal in the 2019 offseason to bring Shai Gilgeous-Alexander into the organization, along with five first-round picks and two pick swaps.
—Shane Young, Forbes.com, 24 June 2025
Juneteenth was a major stepping stone—but not the end of the story.
—Danielle Broadway, Parents, 18 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Stepping stone.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stepping%20stone. Accessed 27 Jul. 2025.
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