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

So when Lily stepped out of a cab and told Marshall his dad had died of a heart attack, we were stunned and cried right along with the devastated couple. — Erin Strecker, Entertainment Weekly, 22 Aug. 2026

As the veteran approached a braking zone, the rear of his car stepped out and hit the wall, which ultimately left him stranded in the run-off area just ten minutes into the session. — Matt Reigle Outkick, FOXNews.com, 22 Aug. 2026

Yesterday in London, Elordi stepped out on the world premiere of Ridley Scott’s The Dog Stars alongside his canine co-star, Rak Jasper. — Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 21 Aug. 2026

Instead of dealing with rental cars or busy trailheads, travelers just want to step out their front door, lace up and move. — Roger Sands, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 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