1
as in walking
to go on foot
I stepped across the street for a quick lunch at the new diner
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in dancing
to perform a series of usually rhythmic bodily movements to music
she was in her element, happily stepping around the dance floor
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in rushing
to proceed or move quickly
many people wanted to linger before the president's bier, but guards kept the line of mourners stepping forward
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 stepping
Others always put on their equipment in the same order or avoid stepping on the foul line.
—
Adam Annaccone,
The Conversation,
22 June 2026
Second-half substitute Romelu Lukaku played a decisive role in Belgium’s opener, helping his team score just 22 seconds after stepping onto the pitch.
—
Ben Church,
CNN Money,
21 June 2026
While the gold seemed all-but hers, Andrade came up short on her second vault, a comparatively simple Lopez vault, piking down and stepping over the line to incur a neutral deduction.
—
Caroline Price,
Forbes.com,
21 June 2026
At a stakeholders reception for the new center on Tuesday, June 16, the former first lady brought husband Barack Obama to tears with her choice of outfit, stepping on stage in a pencil skirt that featured a portrait of her late mother, Marian Robinson.
—
Jennifer Hassan,
USA Today,
18 June 2026
The scanning process starts with stepping onto a platform that drops down into the water on rails through a ring of thousands of transducers that create ultrasonic waves.
—
Richard Lawler,
The Verge,
18 June 2026
In lieu of medication, Pantoliano followed doctor's orders by stepping outside for a casual walk every day.
—
Tracy Wright,
FOXNews.com,
15 June 2026
People standing in front of the car doors must move aside to let passengers off first—even if that means briefly stepping off the train and onto the platform.
—
Claudia Fisher,
Travel + Leisure,
15 June 2026
That may mean stepping away from cancer conversations, limiting time in online forums or simply protecting activities that have nothing to do with treatment.
—
Lauryn Higgins,
Flow Space,
15 June 2026
Adam Annaccone,
The Conversation,
22 June 2026
Second-half substitute Romelu Lukaku played a decisive role in Belgium’s opener, helping his team score just 22 seconds after stepping onto the pitch.
—
Ben Church,
CNN Money,
21 June 2026
While the gold seemed all-but hers, Andrade came up short on her second vault, a comparatively simple Lopez vault, piking down and stepping over the line to incur a neutral deduction.
—
Caroline Price,
Forbes.com,
21 June 2026
At a stakeholders reception for the new center on Tuesday, June 16, the former first lady brought husband Barack Obama to tears with her choice of outfit, stepping on stage in a pencil skirt that featured a portrait of her late mother, Marian Robinson.
—
Jennifer Hassan,
USA Today,
18 June 2026
The scanning process starts with stepping onto a platform that drops down into the water on rails through a ring of thousands of transducers that create ultrasonic waves.
—
Richard Lawler,
The Verge,
18 June 2026
In lieu of medication, Pantoliano followed doctor's orders by stepping outside for a casual walk every day.
—
Tracy Wright,
FOXNews.com,
15 June 2026
People standing in front of the car doors must move aside to let passengers off first—even if that means briefly stepping off the train and onto the platform.
—
Claudia Fisher,
Travel + Leisure,
15 June 2026
That may mean stepping away from cancer conversations, limiting time in online forums or simply protecting activities that have nothing to do with treatment.
—
Lauryn Higgins,
Flow Space,
15 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stepping
Verb
-
The right-hander issued a leadoff walk and hit a batter with a pitch before walking Carson Kelly with the bases loaded to force in the first run.
-
Lower Leg and Ankle Stretch Routine Your ankles and calves play a big role in balance, walking, and overall stability.
Verb
-
The pre-match party was packed with hundreds of people at the Discovery Center with Caribbean music, Haitian food and plenty of dancing.
-
Season 5 opens with Roddy dancing through London.
Verb
-
With the flip of a light switch and the familiar clunk of a VHS tape sliding into a VCR, memories come rushing back for many collectors and movie lovers.
-
Poor planning or rushing decisions can lead to costly and inconvenient design mistakes.
Verb
-
By treading lightly with finishes, opening up the loft area to more light, and getting clever with storage, Marie channeled the unit’s coastal locale, conjuring up an aesthetic lexicon that suggests the interior of a boat with its clean, functional lines.
-
The backlash was so fierce, Anthropic quickly made adjustments to the policy, as Wired reported on Wednesday, highlighting just how carefully the company is treading.
Verb
-
Set over the course of eight years (including the lockdown period during COVID), Herry’s film unfolds fluidly, neither hurrying scenes up unnecessarily, nor lingering too long on any incident.
-
No point hurrying toward a resolution that was always receding.
Verb
-
Prosecutors say Wilburn was traveling about 100 mph on Cherry Valley Boulevard with lights and sirens activated, responding to a report of a shooting.
-
Drivers are reminded to exercise patience, remain attentive and use caution while traveling through the area.
Verb
-
Cesare Attolini was in an escapist mood for spring, taking cues from safari explorations and the European chic riviera destinations to provide the globe-trotting wealthy pack a wardrobe befitting different latitudes.
-
The globe-trotting Jordana Brewster spent her childhood living between London, Rio de Janeiro, and New York City.
Verb
-
Anthony Maglione was flying from Pittsburgh to Sarasota-Bradenton, Florida, via Philadelphia on March 16 and started having issues soon after his first flight.
-
Federal prosecutors have said conspirators in the alleged plot discussed flying drones loaded with explosives over the event and then shooting into the fleeing crowd.
Cite this Entry
“Stepping.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stepping. Accessed 27 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
