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footstep

noun
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foot·​step | \ ˈfu̇t-ˌstep How to pronounce footstep (audio) \

Definition of footstep

1 : the mark of the foot : track
2a : tread
b : distance covered by a step : pace
3 : a step on which to ascend or descend
4 : a way of life, conduct, or action followed in his father's footsteps
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Examples of footstep in a Sentence

She slowly took one footstep toward the frightened animal. It's five footsteps from the bedroom to the bathroom.
Recent Examples on the Web Kyle Orland, senior gaming editor for Ars Technica, describes this phenomenon in a first-look review of the PS5: When Astro runs over sand, for instance, each footstep softly shuffles through the controller as both sound and vibration. — Courtney Linder, Popular Mechanics, "Here's Everything You Need to Know About the New PS5 Controller," 2 Nov. 2020 When Astro runs over sand, for instance, each footstep softly shuffles through the controller as both sound and vibration. — Kyle Orland And Sam Machkovech, Ars Technica, "Hands-on with the PS5’s synesthetic DualSense controller," 27 Oct. 2020 Nearly six decades after the book was published, Mays remains inspired by Robinson and thankful for making it possible to follow in his footsteps, having spent a lifetime trying to do the right thing not just for African Americans but all Americans. — John Shea, SFChronicle.com, "Willie Mays ‘24’ book excerpt: The Story of the Absurdity of Racism," 9 May 2020 And for us, the ultimate sign of respect is that all three of us followed in his footsteps. — Fox News, "'Absolute miracle': NYC surgeon, 74, beats 'severe form' of coronavirus with help of 3 doctor sons," 1 May 2020 His father has worked as a life coach for high-profile business executives for years, and in 2018, Mr. Zimmerman decided to follow in his footsteps. — Taylor Lorenz, New York Times, "Influencing? In This Economy? It’s Only Gotten More Competitive," 23 Apr. 2020 His son, Jason Mills, followed in his footsteps and lettered for UNT as a quarterback in 1994 and 1995. — Brett Vito, Denton Record-Chronicle, "Mills remembered for contributions to UNT football," 12 Apr. 2020 Now, 80 years later, the monarch’s great-grandchildren are following in her footsteps by doing their part to boost morale across the U.K. and the world amid the coronavirus pandemic. — Erin Hill, PEOPLE.com, "How George, Charlotte and Louis Are Mirroring Elizabeth and Margaret's Wartime Efforts as Kids," 2 Apr. 2020 The rest of Europe will probably be following in their footsteps very soon. — Ryan Cooper, TheWeek, "Mitch McConnell is aiding and abetting the spread of coronavirus," 12 Mar. 2020

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'footstep.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of footstep

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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Time Traveler for footstep

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The first known use of footstep was in the 13th century

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Cite this Entry

“Footstep.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/footstep. Accessed 27 Jan. 2021.

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More Definitions for footstep

footstep

noun
How to pronounce footstep (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of footstep

: a movement made by your foot as you walk or run
: the distance covered by a step
: the sound of a foot making a step

See the full definition for footstep in the English Language Learners Dictionary

footstep

noun
foot·​step | \ ˈfu̇t-ˌstep How to pronounce footstep (audio) \

Kids Definition of footstep

1 : a step of the foot Don't take another footstep!
2 : the distance covered by a step The bathroom is only a few footsteps away.
3 : footprint
4 : the sound of a foot taking a step We heard footsteps.
5 : a way of life or action He followed in his father's footsteps.

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More from Merriam-Webster on footstep

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for footstep

Nglish: Translation of footstep for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of footstep for Arabic Speakers

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