doorstep

noun

door·​step ˈdȯr-ˌstep How to pronounce doorstep (audio)
: a step before an outer door
Phrases
on one's doorstep
: close at hand
especially : too close to be overlooked

Examples of doorstep in a Sentence

We sat on the doorstep. The police were at my doorstep.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Their alternative was leaving their children on the doorsteps of orphanages. Stephanie Land, Time, 30 Oct. 2025 While not fully autonomous in all situations, the Kayoibako-K concept is imagined with the ability to navigate itself to the doorstep to meet its driver, return itself to the parking lot or garage, and self-drive a specific route. New Atlas, 30 Oct. 2025 Halloween is on the doorstep, Thanksgiving a month away, but the 60-foot evergreen plucked from the La Tour Demonstration Forest will soon find its winter home on the west lawn of the Capitol at 10th and L streets. Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 29 Oct. 2025 Amazon is offering doorstep returns in some markets through a new partnership with the United States Postal Service. Greta Cross, USA Today, 29 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for doorstep

Word History

First Known Use

1767, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of doorstep was in 1767

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Doorstep.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/doorstep. Accessed 1 Nov. 2025.

Kids Definition

doorstep

noun
door·​step -ˌstep How to pronounce doorstep (audio)
: a step or series of steps before an outer door

More from Merriam-Webster on doorstep

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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