Illustration of instep
- instep 1
in step
1 of 2phrase
1
: with each foot moving to the same time as the corresponding foot of others or in time to music
2
: in harmony or agreement
1
: the arched middle portion of the human foot in front of the ankle joint
especially
: its upper surface
2
: the part of a shoe or stocking that fits over the instep
Examples of in step in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Vicki M. Young, Footwear News, 11 June 2026
Müller scored her first NWSL goal in the 10th minute, receiving a ball from USWNT midfielder Olivia Moultrie near the upper-left corner of the penalty box and striking it first-time with her right instep.
—Tamerra Griffin, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2026
In an animal print and with generous straps across the instep, the result feels much more like grown-up sophistication than any naivete.
—Alex Sales, Glamour, 29 Mar. 2026
To better accommodate a wider range of foot shapes right out of the box, Nordica also slightly increased the instep height.
—Jenny Wiegand, Outside, 23 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for in step
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.
Noun
The Syntilay x Terrell Owens collaboration — called the TO Reset recovery shoe — is generated from a scan of each customer’s foot that captures the individual’s unique geometry of width, instep, asymmetry and 3D shape.
—Vicki M. Young, Footwear News, 11 June 2026
Müller scored her first NWSL goal in the 10th minute, receiving a ball from USWNT midfielder Olivia Moultrie near the upper-left corner of the penalty box and striking it first-time with her right instep.
—Tamerra Griffin, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2026
In an animal print and with generous straps across the instep, the result feels much more like grown-up sophistication than any naivete.
—Alex Sales, Glamour, 29 Mar. 2026
To better accommodate a wider range of foot shapes right out of the box, Nordica also slightly increased the instep height.
—Jenny Wiegand, Outside, 23 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for in step
Cite this Entry
“In step.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/in%20step. Accessed 18 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
instep
noun
in·step
ˈin-ˌstep 
1
: the arched middle part of the human foot
2
: the part of a shoe or stocking that fits over the instep
Medical Definition
instep
noun
in·step
ˈin-ˌstep
: the arched middle portion of the human foot in front of the ankle joint
especially
: its upper surface
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
