1
as in visited
to make a brief visit
I just stepped in to say hi on my way to class
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
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
But these warnings aren’t the first time the federal government has stepped in to ensure that telemedicine is being used appropriately, said Mei Wa Kwong, executive director of the Center for Connected Health Policy.
—Maia Rosenfeld, NBC news, 29 May 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
Police say Davis waved a gun at the child before Wakefield stepped in front of his son to protect him.
—Chelsea Jones, CBS News, 14 May 2026
Milner stepped in, helping complete paperwork, coordinating care and involving family members.
—Nancy Badertscher, AJC.com, 7 May 2026
Savannah Guthrie has been in the seat since 2012 and reported alongside Hoda Kotb for seven years before Craig Melvin stepped in following Kotb’s departure in 2025.
—Francesca Gariano, PEOPLE, 30 Apr. 2026
As the stock sold off, big money stepped in.
—Jay Woods, CNBC, 23 Apr. 2026
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
But these warnings aren’t the first time the federal government has stepped in to ensure that telemedicine is being used appropriately, said Mei Wa Kwong, executive director of the Center for Connected Health Policy.
—Maia Rosenfeld, NBC news, 29 May 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
Police say Davis waved a gun at the child before Wakefield stepped in front of his son to protect him.
—Chelsea Jones, CBS News, 14 May 2026
Milner stepped in, helping complete paperwork, coordinating care and involving family members.
—Nancy Badertscher, AJC.com, 7 May 2026
Savannah Guthrie has been in the seat since 2012 and reported alongside Hoda Kotb for seven years before Craig Melvin stepped in following Kotb’s departure in 2025.
—Francesca Gariano, PEOPLE, 30 Apr. 2026
As the stock sold off, big money stepped in.
—Jay Woods, CNBC, 23 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stepped in
Verb
-
Less than two weeks later, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar visited Baku, meeting with the Azerbaijani president and other top officials.—
Tal Shalev,
CNN Money,
5 June 2026
-
Kate also visited an art session with patients and toured the center's wellbeing garden, which provides a space for reflection and relaxation.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
4 June 2026
Verb
-
Kolo Muani was substituted at half-time in last month’s victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers.—
Jay Harris,
New York Times,
27 May 2026
-
Goldman Sachs economists have found jobs like telephone operators, insurance claims representatives and bill collectors face high risk of being outright substituted by AI.—
Antonio Pequeño IV,
Forbes.com,
22 May 2026
Verb
-
But so far, courts have not stood in the way when state governments have wanted to try to execute the same man again.—
Austin Sarat,
The Conversation,
4 June 2026
-
For too long, bureaucracy has stood in the way of delivering the housing, transit, child care and public services our city needs.—
Jesse Zanger,
CBS News,
28 May 2026
Verb
-
Those idea were dropped in the face of public pushback, and the council applied several million dollars from reserves.—
Don Stacom,
Hartford Courant,
9 June 2026
-
Well, once the puck dropped in Game 1, the broadcasts hadn't even gotten through the starting lineups before Hurricanes forward Nikolaj Ehlers put the home team up by one on the very first shot of the series.—
Matt Reigle,
FOXNews.com,
3 June 2026
Verb
-
At the Wedge, spectators showed up at dawn and filled in through the day to get a glimpse at the chaos.—
Laylan Connelly,
Oc Register,
9 June 2026
-
Zack Gelof at third base and a combination of Alika Williams and Darell Hernaiz at shortstop largely filled in for Wilson and Muncy while the pair were sidelined.—
Sean Campbell,
Sacbee.com,
8 June 2026
Verb
-
Boyd pitcher Colton Patton took over on the mound in the ninth inning, slamming the door and securing the title.—
Charles Baggarly,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
5 June 2026
-
After spending 11 months gathering evidence, interviewing two dozen tearful girls and their parents, then being stonewalled by state prosecutors and attacked in the media, they were then ostracized by federal prosecutors, who took over the case in early 2007.—
Julie K. Brown,
Miami Herald,
4 June 2026
Verb
-
At the elementary level, the largest decreases came in the time devoted to social studies, which within a few years dropped by a third, or 76 minutes each week.—
Yoni Appelbaum,
The Atlantic,
8 June 2026
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In the areas of Detroit where ShotSpotter was implemented in 2021, calls to 911 to report gunshots initially dropped by 47%.—
Divya Ramjee,
The Conversation,
8 June 2026
Verb
-
The two sides ran in slates aligned against one another.—
Tanya Babbar,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
3 May 2026
-
Ken’s parents also influenced how rinks were ran in the area, the two said.—
Camryn Dadey,
Sacbee.com,
15 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Stepped in.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stepped%20in. Accessed 10 Jun. 2026.
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