step out

verb

stepped out; stepping out; steps out

intransitive verb

1

: to go away from a place usually for a short distance and for a short time

2

: to go or march at a vigorous or increased pace

3

: die

4

: to lead an active social life

5

: to be unfaithful

—usually used with on

had been stepping out on his wife

Synonyms of step out

• cheat
• screw around
• play (around)

Examples of step out in a Sentence

if she catches him stepping out on her, she'll divorce him without a moment's hesitation

my greedy relatives are only being nice to me because they expect me to step out any time now

Recent Examples on the Web

Lots of temples and mosques have spaces to wash feet outside, and most require you to step out of your footwear before exploring the holy space. —Alexandra Pereira, Travel + Leisure, 12 Mar. 2026

Those comely fender flares, the angular head and taillamps that have presence; this is the Mercedes that made stepping out of one feel like a statement again. —Sean Evans, Robb Report, 12 Mar. 2026

The couple stepped out on Thursday in Westminster to highlight the work of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution. —Rachel Burchfield, InStyle, 12 Mar. 2026

The officer tells her that’s littering and asks her to step out of the car. —Elizabeth Campbell, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 12 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1533, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for step out

• about
• bailout
• blackout
• blowout
• breakout
• burnout
• buyout
• checkout
• closeout
• cutout
• devout
• dropout

Kids Definition

step out

verb

: to go away from a place usually for a short distance and for a short time