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
Fast forward to the eighth inning when Willy Adames stepped in the box to face the Reds’ Connor Phillips.
—
Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 16 Apr. 2026
In the 1990s, as Eastern European countries emerged from communism, Americans stepped in to help build not only free markets, but also antitrust agencies that looked something like our DOJ Antitrust Division.
—Gail Slater, Rolling Stone, 16 Apr. 2026
When the show returned, Guthrie was gone, and co-anchor Hoda Kotb stepped in to interview Hathaway about her upcoming movies, Mother Mary and The Devil Wears Prada 2.
—Allison Degrushe, StyleCaster, 16 Apr. 2026
When the opposition sought to hang posters on lampposts and utility poles, the government, invoking concerns about road safety, at one point stepped in to outlaw the practice.
—Kapil Komireddi, New Yorker, 10 Apr. 2026
So, Hansen stepped in Monday and radioed mission control to describe the selection of a previously unnamed crater in honor of Wiseman's wife Carroll, a nurse who passed away in 2020.
—William Harwood, CBS News, 9 Apr. 2026
Following his successful year, Ryan Castro has now stepped in as a creative director for Agua Bendita, fully co-creating and shaping everything from the design to the campaign.
—Ingrid Fajardo, Billboard, 26 Mar. 2026
As spring break crowds and South by Southwest Conference and Festival travelers packed security lines at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport this week, a local burger chain stepped in with a gesture aimed at the workers keeping the system moving.
—Ana Gutierrez, Austin American Statesman, 19 Mar. 2026
Victor pulls a gun on the monster, but his bullet hits Elizabeth, who stepped in to protect it.
—Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 12 Mar. 2026
Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 16 Apr. 2026
In the 1990s, as Eastern European countries emerged from communism, Americans stepped in to help build not only free markets, but also antitrust agencies that looked something like our DOJ Antitrust Division.
—Gail Slater, Rolling Stone, 16 Apr. 2026
When the show returned, Guthrie was gone, and co-anchor Hoda Kotb stepped in to interview Hathaway about her upcoming movies, Mother Mary and The Devil Wears Prada 2.
—Allison Degrushe, StyleCaster, 16 Apr. 2026
When the opposition sought to hang posters on lampposts and utility poles, the government, invoking concerns about road safety, at one point stepped in to outlaw the practice.
—Kapil Komireddi, New Yorker, 10 Apr. 2026
So, Hansen stepped in Monday and radioed mission control to describe the selection of a previously unnamed crater in honor of Wiseman's wife Carroll, a nurse who passed away in 2020.
—William Harwood, CBS News, 9 Apr. 2026
Following his successful year, Ryan Castro has now stepped in as a creative director for Agua Bendita, fully co-creating and shaping everything from the design to the campaign.
—Ingrid Fajardo, Billboard, 26 Mar. 2026
As spring break crowds and South by Southwest Conference and Festival travelers packed security lines at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport this week, a local burger chain stepped in with a gesture aimed at the workers keeping the system moving.
—Ana Gutierrez, Austin American Statesman, 19 Mar. 2026
Victor pulls a gun on the monster, but his bullet hits Elizabeth, who stepped in to protect it.
—Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 12 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stepped in
Verb
-
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex last visited Australia in October 2018, on an official royal tour that included attending the Invictus Games in Sydney.—
Helen Murphy,
PEOPLE,
17 Apr. 2026
-
Members of the Cook County State's Attorney's office visited CTA train stations across Chicago on Thursday.—
Adam Harrington,
CBS News,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
That means allied stockpiling of semiconductors and other critical inputs that cannot be quickly substituted.—
Eyck Freymann,
Time,
17 Apr. 2026
-
White pepper can be substituted with black pepper.—
The Washington Post,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
In the promo poster for the show, all actors are facing the camera, while he alone is stood in the middle facing the opposite way.—
Max Goldbart,
Deadline,
16 Apr. 2026
-
Hegseth came out of his own service, in Iraq and Afghanistan, with the seeming conviction that what had stood in the way of a fuller victory in those wars had been the restraints supposedly placed on how soldiers could kill.—
Benjamin Wallace-Wells,
New Yorker,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Be careful to check if USPS staff is stamping mail after hours, otherwise, any postage dropped in the evening will be stamped April 16.—
Samantha Gowen,
Oc Register,
14 Apr. 2026
-
The only first round Game 1 Minnesota has dropped in the Anthony Edwards-Chris Finch era came in 2023, when the Wolves played in Denver just two days after advancing through the play in.—
Jace Frederick,
Twin Cities,
14 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
His timely return can ease the playmaking pressure on Luke Kennard, who filled in admirably in an emergency stretch with 31 assists in four games, and help handle the load next to James.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Apr. 2026
-
Hoda Kotb, Sheinelle Jones, and Laura Jarrett all filled in for Guthrie during her absence.—
Lizzie Lanuza,
StyleCaster,
13 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Curry and Green took over from there.—
Joseph Dycus,
Mercury News,
16 Apr. 2026
-
State police later took over the investigation at the direction of the Stamford State’s Attorney’s Office.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
But the charges were quickly dropped by the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office — and police admitted Brown turned out not to be the man cops were seeking for taking money from a drug dealer after the dealer sold crack to an undercover cop near the store.—
Rocco Parascandola,
New York Daily News,
20 Apr. 2026
-
The Associated Press confirmed that D4vd was dropped by Interscope last year.—
Andrew Dalton,
Chicago Tribune,
20 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Ken’s parents also influenced how rinks were ran in the area, the two said.—
Camryn Dadey,
Sacbee.com,
15 Mar. 2026
-
Reed ran in junior high, then fell in love with the sport again while living in New York City, where her run club convinced her to run the New York Marathon in 2010.—
Patrick Connolly,
The Orlando Sentinel,
1 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Stepped in.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stepped%20in. Accessed 21 Apr. 2026.
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