1
as in visited
to make a brief visit
I just stepped in to say hi on my way to class
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
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
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Recent Examples of stepped in
In 1968, the federal government stepped in and started selling flood insurance managed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA.
—
Brian New,
CBS News,
1 July 2026
The Democratic National Committee and attorney Marc Elias had stepped in to defend the limits.
—
Los Angeles Times,
30 June 2026
However, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) stepped in to recommend delaying license auctions for the upper band until after the World Radiocommunication Conference in 2027 (WRC-27).
—
Stephen Cousins,
IEEE Spectrum,
25 June 2026
After the handball in the box on Czechia's Pavel Sulc, Teboho Mokoena stepped in for a penalty, closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and buried a shot into the left side of the net to make this a 1-1 match with under 10 minutes to go.
—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
19 June 2026
Gilmore, who stepped in as chief investment officer in the summer of 2024, directs a staff of more than 300 while facing scrutiny from politicians, union leaders, environmentalists, taxpayer groups and the media.
—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
11 June 2026
That’s when Eddie Ritchie stepped in and delivered.
—
Jack Murray,
Boston Herald,
4 June 2026
Chris Woodward moved from first to third base and Pedro Montero stepped in to coach first base on Tuesday.
—
Bill Plunkett,
Oc Register,
3 June 2026
The team was established as the Orlando Miracle in 1999 as a sister team to the NBA’s Orlando Magic, but Magic owner Rich DeVos had no interest in keeping the WNBA franchise and likely would have folded the organization had the Tribe not stepped in.
—
Emily Adams,
Hartford Courant,
14 May 2026
Brian New,
CBS News,
1 July 2026
The Democratic National Committee and attorney Marc Elias had stepped in to defend the limits.
—
Los Angeles Times,
30 June 2026
However, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) stepped in to recommend delaying license auctions for the upper band until after the World Radiocommunication Conference in 2027 (WRC-27).
—
Stephen Cousins,
IEEE Spectrum,
25 June 2026
After the handball in the box on Czechia's Pavel Sulc, Teboho Mokoena stepped in for a penalty, closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and buried a shot into the left side of the net to make this a 1-1 match with under 10 minutes to go.
—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
19 June 2026
Gilmore, who stepped in as chief investment officer in the summer of 2024, directs a staff of more than 300 while facing scrutiny from politicians, union leaders, environmentalists, taxpayer groups and the media.
—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
11 June 2026
That’s when Eddie Ritchie stepped in and delivered.
—
Jack Murray,
Boston Herald,
4 June 2026
Chris Woodward moved from first to third base and Pedro Montero stepped in to coach first base on Tuesday.
—
Bill Plunkett,
Oc Register,
3 June 2026
The team was established as the Orlando Miracle in 1999 as a sister team to the NBA’s Orlando Magic, but Magic owner Rich DeVos had no interest in keeping the WNBA franchise and likely would have folded the organization had the Tribe not stepped in.
—
Emily Adams,
Hartford Courant,
14 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stepped in
Verb
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Elizabeth Stanziano reluctantly visited Norfolk, Virginia's Sail 250 festival after her mother raved for weeks about seeing the tall ships during the Bicentennial.
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In his 10 years living on Skid Row, Gaines visited the post office at least twice a month, mailing money to his family in New Orleans to help care for his elderly mother.
Verb
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Uruguay goalkeeper Fernando Muslera was substituted at halftime and replaced with Sergio Rochet.
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Raul Angel was substituted in the 78th minute for Ochoa to make his 154th appearance for Mexico, having been part of six World Cup squads for his country.
Verb
-
The biggest bombshell dropped in 2017.
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Markets dropped in response, but only temporarily.
Verb
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Fans for Brazil and Scotland stood in line outside the park, hoping for a chance to get through before the game concludes.
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So for some time, fans just stood in line at the bus departure point — until the rain started coming down.
Verb
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The movie, which stars Andrew Garfield as the OpenAI boss, was abruptly dropped by AmazonMGM despite being nearly finished.
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As of Monday, June 22, gas prices dropped by double digits across Florida from the same time last week.
Verb
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The sign at the front of the stadium remained a little underwhelming, with the word Lumen blacked out but no replacement filled in.
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Scotland's Tartan Army supporters were out in mass, creating a wave of red inside a filled in Gillette Stadium, located about 30 miles outside Boston.
Verb
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The two sides ran in slates aligned against one another.
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Ken’s parents also influenced how rinks were ran in the area, the two said.
Verb
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After Davey Johnson took over before the 1999 season, Hoffman remained with the team as third-base coach for seven seasons.
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The Mets posted their fourth shutout and won for the second time in five games since Andy Green took over as interim manager when Carlos Mendoza was fired last Friday.
Cite this Entry
“Stepped in.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stepped%20in. Accessed 2 Jul. 2026.
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