step 1 of 2

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2
as in stage
an individual part of a process, series, or ranking the manual enumerates every step in the procedure for shutting down the assembly line

Synonyms & Similar Words

3
as in footstep
the mark or impression made by a foot steps in the sand leading into the water and back out again

Synonyms & Similar Words

4
as in path
steps plural the direction along which something or someone moves their steps led them through a long corridor

Synonyms & Similar Words

5
as in inch
a very small distance or degree he lives just a step away from his elderly mother, so he's there if she needs him for any reason

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

step

2 of 2

verb

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2
3

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of step
Noun
Sizing down from a 20-lb (or even 5-lb LPG tank) to a 4- or 8-oz canister makes the Antarcti far more portable than other collapsible gas fire pits on its own, and Fire Maple takes it a step further. New Atlas, 10 Nov. 2025 Global attendees appear to have an extra spring in their step, extending stays to meet with agencies and studios. Alex Ritman, Variety, 10 Nov. 2025
Verb
The pop star has taken several social media breaks in recent years — briefly in 2021 and twice in 2022 — and has periodically stepped away from posting ever since. Mitchell Peters, Billboard, 8 Nov. 2025 In front of the Idaho State Capitol steps on Saturday morning, the street was lined with people waving American flags as historic military vehicles and military personnel both current and former made their way through downtown. Idaho Statesman, 8 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for step
Recent Examples of Synonyms for step
Noun
  • The problem is that the objective optimized by the algorithm is good for the people who control the means of prediction…but not good for the rest of society.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 5 Nov. 2025
  • Then Vice President Cheney condemned those behind the torture scandal, while at the same time defending water-boarding as a useful means of extracting vital intelligence (many intelligence experts say water-boarding is torture, and its victims will say anything to avoid further abuse).
    Ben Wedeman, CNN Money, 5 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • Gravette may not be where most expect to find an athlete competing on a global stage, but maybe that's just because Madie Edwards knows how to keep a low profile.
    NWA Democrat-Gazette, Arkansas Online, 10 Nov. 2025
  • Taking a documentary and translating it on the Broadway stage was always going to be an ambitious endeavor, and when creatives attempt such feats, they should be celebrated.
    Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 10 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • Jorja Douglas, Stella Quaresma, and Renée Downer follow in the footsteps of Chloe x Halle, who were nominated for Ungodly Hour in 2021 and The Kids Are Alright in 2019.
    Tomás Mier, Rolling Stone, 7 Nov. 2025
  • The photos came several months after the musician revealed that his son was already following in his footsteps by learning how to drum.
    Madison E. Goldberg, PEOPLE, 7 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • Vietnamese authorities have ordered mass evacuations from low-lying coastal areas in the path of Typhoon Kalmaegi, the 13th to hit Vietnam this year.
    Robert Birsel, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Nov. 2025
  • There is no official agreement, internal or otherwise, and Republicans and Democrats Wednesday sounded no closer to a path forward.
    Nathaniel Weixel, The Hill, 6 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • The minimum size limit is 12 inches and the daily bag limit is 15 per angler.
    Steve Waters, Miami Herald, 7 Nov. 2025
  • The stark highlight started at her roots, just a few inches from her hairline, and wrapped around both sides of her head before joining together in the back.
    Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 7 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • After a few minutes Matty walked in and sat across from me.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 Nov. 2025
  • Phillips croons about a mother’s bond with her child as Swinton walks off, her character freshly wrecked by a visit with her son in prison.
    Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 6 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • Get ready to dance off your Thanksgiving dinner and kick off the holiday season with a night of funk, fun, and giving back.
    News Release, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Nov. 2025
  • Today the Moon in your sign is dancing with fair Venus creating pleasant feelings between you and everyone else.
    Georgia Nicols, Denver Post, 8 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • Mahomes spent the game on his backside, hurried or outright hit by rushers 15 times in all.
    Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 3 Nov. 2025
  • But hurry — the sale ends November 5.
    Jacqueline Tempera, PEOPLE, 1 Nov. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Step.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/step. Accessed 17 Nov. 2025.

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