step 1 of 2

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2
as in stage
an individual part of a process, series, or ranking the manual enumerates every step in the procedure for shutting down the assembly line

Synonyms & Similar Words

3
as in footstep
the mark or impression made by a foot steps in the sand leading into the water and back out again

Synonyms & Similar Words

4
as in path
steps plural the direction along which something or someone moves their steps led them through a long corridor

Synonyms & Similar Words

5
as in inch
a very small distance or degree he lives just a step away from his elderly mother, so he's there if she needs him for any reason

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

step

2 of 2

verb

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3

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of step
Noun
Skip the dish that requires three pans and twelve steps. Allison Palmer, Miami Herald, 3 Nov. 2025 Once federal funds are released, there’s still a series of steps before recipients see the money. Evan Moore november 3, Charlotte Observer, 3 Nov. 2025
Verb
In their telling, success lives in joy, in transformation, in the courage to step outside prescribed lanes, and sometimes simply in the work itself. John Vorwald, Robb Report, 2 Nov. 2025 Kings guards Russell Westbrook and Zach LaVine and forward DeMar DeRozan were quick to come to Sabonis’ aid, stepping between the two players before the situation escalated. Jason Anderson, Sacbee.com, 2 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for step
Recent Examples of Synonyms for step
Noun
  • The problem is that the objective optimized by the algorithm is good for the people who control the means of prediction…but not good for the rest of society.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 5 Nov. 2025
  • Then Vice President Cheney condemned those behind the torture scandal, while at the same time defending water-boarding as a useful means of extracting vital intelligence (many intelligence experts say water-boarding is torture, and its victims will say anything to avoid further abuse).
    Ben Wedeman, CNN Money, 5 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • Exhausting the fund potentially sets the stage for a similar situation in December if the shutdown isn’t resolved by then.
    Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 3 Nov. 2025
  • The amendment invests an additional $450,000 in Birth to Three providers, which help families with children who experience disabilities and developmental delays, including vision and hearing challenges, during the crucial early stage of development.
    Claudia Levens, jsonline.com, 3 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • Jorja Douglas, Stella Quaresma, and Renée Downer follow in the footsteps of Chloe x Halle, who were nominated for Ungodly Hour in 2021 and The Kids Are Alright in 2019.
    Tomás Mier, Rolling Stone, 7 Nov. 2025
  • The photos came several months after the musician revealed that his son was already following in his footsteps by learning how to drum.
    Madison E. Goldberg, PEOPLE, 7 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • Vietnamese authorities have ordered mass evacuations from low-lying coastal areas in the path of Typhoon Kalmaegi, the 13th to hit Vietnam this year.
    Robert Birsel, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Nov. 2025
  • There is no official agreement, internal or otherwise, and Republicans and Democrats Wednesday sounded no closer to a path forward.
    Nathaniel Weixel, The Hill, 6 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • The minimum size limit is 12 inches and the daily bag limit is 15 per angler.
    Steve Waters, Miami Herald, 7 Nov. 2025
  • The stark highlight started at her roots, just a few inches from her hairline, and wrapped around both sides of her head before joining together in the back.
    Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 7 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • After a few minutes Matty walked in and sat across from me.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 Nov. 2025
  • Phillips croons about a mother’s bond with her child as Swinton walks off, her character freshly wrecked by a visit with her son in prison.
    Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 6 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • During last week's episode, viewers saw Dylan dance with his little sister, Olivia, for Dedication Night on.
    Charlotte Phillipp, PEOPLE, 26 Oct. 2025
  • Soon enough, the Baxter Avenue Morgue, a Louisville haunted house that opened around the same time, reached out to interview the crew and asked them to dance.
    Lillian Metzmeier, Louisville Courier Journal, 25 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Mahomes spent the game on his backside, hurried or outright hit by rushers 15 times in all.
    Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 3 Nov. 2025
  • But hurry — the sale ends November 5.
    Jacqueline Tempera, PEOPLE, 1 Nov. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Step.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/step. Accessed 9 Nov. 2025.

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