step in

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 Nearly 100 people were displaced after a blaze swept through a Miami Beach hostel on Monday evening, with the Red Cross stepping in to help. Milena Malaver, Miami Herald, 23 Sep. 2025 The enrichment of the mantle with elements like carbon and potassium during these reactions could be a key step in forming specific volcanic magmas. Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 23 Sep. 2025 Sorry for stepping in the video. Alice Gibbs, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 Sep. 2025 Lin-Manuel Miranda stepped in as Dawson. Angela Andaloro, PEOPLE, 23 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for step in
Recent Examples of Synonyms for step in
Verb
  • His mother, Lucia Ayala, visited him weekly and noticed the onset of a cough, the outlet said.
    Billal Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Sep. 2025
  • Washington Examiner spoke to young adults who were impacted by Charlie Kirk’s faith while visiting the makeshift memorial outside of the Turning Point USA headquarters in Arizona.
    Amy DeLaura, The Washington Examiner, 24 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Ways To Use Kabocha Squash Just about any type of winter squash can be substituted for kabocha.
    Lisa Cericola, Southern Living, 28 Sep. 2025
  • Junior quarterback Leo Stalsberg — substituting for senior starter Cedric Tomes, who’s out with a broken finger — completed 2 of 10 pass attempts for 25 yards.
    Tris Wykes, Twin Cities, 27 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Jillian, who police say had no involvement in the hit-and-run and was standing in her own yard, was later taken into custody and treated for a non-life-threatening gunshot wound.
    Anthony Robledo, USA Today, 27 Sep. 2025
  • Cases have been made for all, but in the larger K-Pop discourse, Abby (so named for his mesmerizing abdominal muscles) being a stand in for ATEEZ's San has become all but canon.
    Mackenzie Schmidt, PEOPLE, 26 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Francesca Mesiano Mesiano colored the shape of her eyes with black eyeliner at the Blumarine spring 2025 show, filling in the whole of her eyelid and extending up toward the ends of her eyebrows at the outer corners.
    Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 26 Sep. 2025
  • Trey Benson, who will be filling in for James Conner the remainder of the season after his year-ending foot injury last week, had 35 yards on just eight carries in his first game as the team’s primary running back.
    Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 26 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • The Cardinals scored a run apiece in the third and fourth following Ramos’ homer, but the Giants scored three runs in the fourth to take a 4-2 lead on an RBI single from Patrick Bailey and a two-run single from Ramos.
    Justice delos Santos, Mercury News, 23 Sep. 2025
  • The two hooked up on a 33-yard pass that set up Kareem Hunt’s 1-yard TD run in the fourth quarter and put the game away.
    The Athletic Staff, New York Times, 22 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • This zone is crucial for pitch framing, where catchers use their presentation to influence umpires into calling borderline pitches strikes.
    Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 27 Sep. 2025
  • Generation X was the first to cope without ubiquitous workplace pensions, relying instead on a new savings tool called the 401(k).
    Daniel de Visé, USA Today, 27 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Step in.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/step%20in. Accessed 29 Sep. 2025.

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