Thesaurus results for STEPPED IN

stepped in

verb

past tense of step in

as in visited

to make a brief visit I just stepped in to say hi on my way to class

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

as in substituted

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 stepped in Even when right tackle Drew Terrill went out early in the Cougars’ Saturday win over Oregon State, Ronnell McLain stepped in and performed well. — The Athletic College Football Staff, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026 Svorobic and dozens of others stepped in to help their neighbors and add more protection to their homes. — Luzdelia Caballero, CBS News, 8 Sep. 2026 The Huskies tacked on another touchdown when Wyatt Hatfield stepped in front of a Lowery pass and returned his interception 36 yards for a touchdown to provide the final margin. — Chris Hays, The Orlando Sentinel, 1 Sep. 2026 Before Shamah’s team stepped in, the brand was chasing a much younger demographic, focusing less on complexion and more on lip. — Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 31 Aug. 2026 Train frontman Pat Monahan stepped in to help before Bon Jovi made the decision to end the show. — Lauryn Overhultz, FOXNews.com, 31 Aug. 2026 Citadel, Ken Griffin's giant multi-strategy hedge fund, stepped in to buy the positions at a discount, understood to be around 10%. — Hugh Leask, CNBC, 25 Aug. 2026 His character Ned Schneebly was supposed to be substituting — until Dewey impersonated him and stepped in. — Kate Hogan, PEOPLE, 25 Aug. 2026 While not always technically starting, Urquidy and Fedde have stepped in over the past couple of weeks as bulk pitchers. — Lamond Pope, Chicago Tribune, 25 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for stepped in

Verb

Soldiers had tracked one drone flying past the same Rio Grande Valley overlook three times before CBS News visited the location.

— Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 8 Sep. 2026
Washington envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff visited Moscow and Kyiv for separate talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Zelenskyy at the weekend.

— ABC News, ABC News, 8 Sep. 2026

Definition of visited

Verb

But then former Chelsea forward Kai Havertz, who was excellent throughout and received a standing ovation when substituted, equalised as Emi Martinez struggled to get down in time.

— Jack Lang, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2026
Their starting lineup has also remained largely unchanged for two games, though David Larrubia did not start against Deportivo, but was substituted in.

— Jibin Joseph, PC Magazine, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of substituted

Verb

The past few weeks have seen the former Dateline correspondent and To Catch a Predator host state that he was not consulted on the movie and did not know about the production until shortly before the trailer dropped in May.

— Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 31 Aug. 2026
Smith completed a pre-trial intervention program, so all charges were dropped in March 2025.

— DAVID J. NEAL, Miami Herald, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of dropped in

Verb

Gauff knocked the ball into a rectangular expanse of blue, as Jović stood in the doubles alley and doubled over to her knees, trying to catch her breath.

— Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
Rob Lowe had plenty of competition for blockbuster roles in the 1980s and ’90s – and one Hollywood heavyweight repeatedly stood in his way.

— Lauryn Overhultz, FOXNews.com, 7 Sep. 2026

Definition of stood in

Verb

The Thelma And Louise star, who was dropped by UTA in 2023 after attending several rallies in support of Palestine and making an inflammatory comment, has revealed in the past that roles dried up for as a result of her activism.

— Nada Aboul Kheir, Deadline, 6 Sep. 2026
The muffed punt, dropped by Oregon’s Evan Stewart, should have drawn a penalty on Boise State’s coverage team, as Jameson Perry came within inches of making contact with Stewart just before the ball arrived.

— Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 6 Sep. 2026

Definition of dropped by

Verb

While Lawson has filled in for the injured Hadjar this season, Yuki Tsunoda, another graduate and former Red Bull driver, has driven for Racing Bulls.

— Sam Joseph, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026
And the vacuum here, which was filled in by complete cheerleaders a little bit, is very scary to me.

— Hanna Rosin, The Atlantic, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of filled in

Verb

According to a 2005 biography, Tung was born in Shanghai on May 29, 1937, and his family moved to Hong Kong in 1947 — two years before the Communists took over the mainland.

— Kanis Leung, Los Angeles Times, 8 Sep. 2026
Fresh Leadership Vaughn, who took over as chief of Genesco in 2020, recalled that Journeys emerged from the COVID-19 pandemic in good shape, but that the consumer landscape had changed drastically, triggering the need for a different approach.

— Jennie Bell, Footwear News, 8 Sep. 2026