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 That said, this agreement is a small step in a better direction. The Editors, National Review, 10 May 2025 The move is a major step in the studio’s 20-year journey and strengthens its presence in the European animation market. Jamie Lang, Variety, 9 May 2025 Listen to this article 2 min Boston Celtics legend Paul Pierce will be getting his steps in after his Game 2 Celtics-Knicks prediction ended terribly for him. Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 8 May 2025 Back in Washington, D.C., Vice President JD Vance said Ukraine and Russia must begin directly talking as part of the next steps in negotiations to end the war between the two countries. Rebecca Morin, USA Today, 8 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for step in
Recent Examples of Synonyms for step in
Verb
  • Meanwhile, on the outside, no one can visit Elsbeth until she’s been inside for at least a week, and Kaya is increasingly anxious to see Elsbeth before she’s sent on an undercover assignment with her new unit.
    Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 9 May 2025
  • Expect to pay a new fee to visit the country starting in July.
    Rebecca Morin, USA Today, 9 May 2025
Verb
  • This article is for informational purposes only and does not substitute for professional medical advice.
    Wyles Daniel, USA Today, 17 May 2025
  • Adoptees who have searched for information about their birth families and academics who have studied international adoption have long known of cases in which one child was substituted at the last minute for another—or of birth mothers who were coerced or tricked into relinquishing their children.
    Time, Time, 15 May 2025
Verb
  • In the throwback photo, Porter could be seen resting her pregnant belly on a chair, standing in front of a Christmas tree and smiling for the camera.
    Hannah Sacks, People.com, 12 May 2025
  • Over the next few minutes, Burton offered both celebration and challenge, calling on graduates to honor their gifts, stand in their truth and remain unshaken by fear.
    Oumou Fofana, Essence, 12 May 2025
Verb
  • There was a significant void to be filled in the club’s leadership group that off-season.
    James Pearce, New York Times, 10 May 2025
  • Meanwhile, Bregman has started every game for the Red Sox at third base except for one, when Romy Gonzalez filled in.
    Daniel R. Epstein, Forbes.com, 9 May 2025
Verb
  • Detroit blew the game open with nine runs in the bottom of the third, with the lowlight coming after Wilyer Abreu let a ball by Riley Greene go under his glove to the wall, turning a single into a Little League home run.
    Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 13 May 2025
  • The Royals have scored totals of seven, eight, 10 and 11 runs in games since the start of May (12 games).
    Jaylon Thompson, Kansas City Star, 13 May 2025
Verb
  • However, today most young people rarely call each other.
    Andrea Wigfield, CNN, 14 Feb. 2023
  • Marx himself would call DEI a classic case of ideology, a set of benign-seeming ideas that disguise the workings of the rulers, in this case empowered progressives.
    WSJ, WSJ, 14 Feb. 2023

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Cite this Entry

“Step in.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/step%20in. Accessed 21 May. 2025.

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