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

• 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

The portrait of her steps out of its frame. —Literary Hub, 23 Sep. 2025

On a December night last year in Caracas, opposition activist Jesús Armas stepped out of a café and walked toward his car. —Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 23 Sep. 2025

Ever step out for a breath of fresh air only to be struck by a fog of marijuana smoke? —Georgea Kovanis, Freep.com, 22 Sep. 2025

Even Rose steps out, sleeping with a graduate student, partly because Tom won’t stop pining for Vivien, his inaccessible ghost. —Katy Waldman, New Yorker, 22 Sep. 2025

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