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

On Friday, May 15, the engaged couple, both 36, were spotted stepping out for dinner hand in hand at Or'esh restaurant in New York City. —Ingrid Vasquez, PEOPLE, 17 May 2026

This spring, Gigi Hadid stepped out in Jimmy Fairly’s oversized Aela sunglasses, pairing the dramatic tortoise frames with a bright red cardigan and relaxed denim. —Lauren Fisher, Footwear News, 16 May 2026

Sequins sparkled, trains swept the red carpet and diamonds flashed in every direction as celebrities stepped out for the 79th Cannes Film Festival in France. —Stephanie Giang-Paunon, FOXNews.com, 16 May 2026

Almost every month, Justin Burton and his graduate students step out of the lab and bring loud, colorful experiments to younger students. —Brian Unger, CBS News, 15 May 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