step in

Definition of step innext
1
2
as in to substitute
to serve as a replacement usually for a time only couldn't find anyone to step in for me so that I could take a break from my caregiving duties

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 in Peart and Throckmorton are veterans who have stepped in and played, while Gargiulo showed some promise before a bad preseason knee injury last summer. Parker Gabriel, Denver Post, 29 May 2026 Many companies rely on remote workers to step in when the robots inevitably get stuck. Robert Hart, The Verge, 29 May 2026 Bushbalm Friction Fix Serum Stick Airport terminals, city walks and sightseeing adventures can mean logging thousands of steps in a single day. Corein Carter, Forbes.com, 29 May 2026 That reversal prompted Congress to step in and pass a law requiring the release. Stephen Groves, Chicago Tribune, 29 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for step in
Recent Examples of Synonyms for step in
Verb
  • Spend time walking around, snapping photos, or visiting the small interactive museum, ZOOOM, where a short 3D film flies viewers over the mountain range; admission is included in the ticket price.
    Lauren David, Travel + Leisure, 29 May 2026
  • According to organizers, the 2027 run will visit approximately 50 cities across the United States and Canada from February through April, marking a decade since the touring drag production first launched.
    Holly Alvarado, Daily News, 29 May 2026
Verb
  • This article is for informational purposes only and does not substitute for professional medical advice.
    Daniel Fusch, USA Today, 28 May 2026
  • Kolo Muani was substituted at half-time in last month’s victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers.
    Jay Harris, New York Times, 27 May 2026
Verb
  • When Officers Jordan White and Chad Cox entered the third-floor apartment, body camera footage showed Pike standing in a closet, which was also Destinii’s nursery, holding the infant.
    Ben Wheeler June 2, Kansas City Star, 2 June 2026
  • Was there really nothing more standing in her way than a pea-size clump of cells?
    Jonathan Franzen, New Yorker, 1 June 2026
Verb
  • Emollients sink into the skin to fill in all those tiny gaps, repairing the lipid barrier so your face feels soft, flexible, and smooth instead of rough and itchy.
    Lauren Brown West-Rosenthal, Parents, 28 May 2026
  • Bessent will be the third Cabinet member to fill in for Leavitt, following Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
    Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 28 May 2026
Verb
  • All the junior right-hander had to do was retire Arvada West’s Levi Lueck with the tying runs in scoring position and nobody in the restless crowd sitting at All-Star Park.
    Troy Renck, Denver Post, 31 May 2026
  • The Spartans broke the game open with a six runs in the fifth inning.
    Lou Ponsi, Oc Register, 31 May 2026
Verb
  • Butlers here are called Aris Meehas, a historical Maldivian reference to someone assigned to serve royalty—thankfully, interactions are more easy-going than overly deferential.
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 1 June 2026
  • On one side were Carson’s years growing up in provincial Columbus, Georgia, and the succession of Southern towns to which her husband’s job had called them.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 1 June 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Step in.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/step%20in. Accessed 4 Jun. 2026.

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