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
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Recent Examples of stepping
That means stepping outside the no-fault system entirely.
—
Ascend Agency, New York Daily News, 11 May 2026
Leaving the dais can prompt taunts from audience members critical of officials for stepping away.
—Ishani Desai, Sacbee.com, 10 May 2026
Tourists and scientists want to know On Thursday, three tractors spent more than an hour raking the beach at South Pointe Park in Miami Beach as beachgoers weaved around them, stepping over thick piles of sargassum that turned the shoreline water a murky brown.
—Ashley Miznazi, Miami Herald, 9 May 2026
Hogan previously drew attention after stepping onto the first-place podium spot following an event Hernandez had won, a move championed by pro women’s sports advocates as a statement about who should hold that position.
—Alejandro Avila Outkick, FOXNews.com, 9 May 2026
But about 15 to 20 minutes after the first call, Sampson's daughter was located at her workplace after briefly stepping away from her desk.
—Mike Winters, CNBC, 9 May 2026
Asake follows their lead, never once stepping outside the church doors.
—Boutayna Chokrane, Pitchfork, 7 May 2026
Nia Long exuded timeless elegance for her Met Gala debut, stepping onto the carpet in her signature natural glam.
—Essence, 6 May 2026
Gen Z is increasingly stepping away from dating apps and looking for love the old-fashioned way — through chance encounters at run clubs, book clubs, cycling groups and bird-watching meetups.
—Hanna Wickes, Charlotte Observer, 5 May 2026
Ascend Agency, New York Daily News, 11 May 2026
Leaving the dais can prompt taunts from audience members critical of officials for stepping away.
—Ishani Desai, Sacbee.com, 10 May 2026
Tourists and scientists want to know On Thursday, three tractors spent more than an hour raking the beach at South Pointe Park in Miami Beach as beachgoers weaved around them, stepping over thick piles of sargassum that turned the shoreline water a murky brown.
—Ashley Miznazi, Miami Herald, 9 May 2026
Hogan previously drew attention after stepping onto the first-place podium spot following an event Hernandez had won, a move championed by pro women’s sports advocates as a statement about who should hold that position.
—Alejandro Avila Outkick, FOXNews.com, 9 May 2026
But about 15 to 20 minutes after the first call, Sampson's daughter was located at her workplace after briefly stepping away from her desk.
—Mike Winters, CNBC, 9 May 2026
Asake follows their lead, never once stepping outside the church doors.
—Boutayna Chokrane, Pitchfork, 7 May 2026
Nia Long exuded timeless elegance for her Met Gala debut, stepping onto the carpet in her signature natural glam.
—Essence, 6 May 2026
Gen Z is increasingly stepping away from dating apps and looking for love the old-fashioned way — through chance encounters at run clubs, book clubs, cycling groups and bird-watching meetups.
—Hanna Wickes, Charlotte Observer, 5 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stepping
Verb
-
The woman who died, Smith-Gray, was a high school senior looking forward to walking the stage at graduation, her family said on a fundraising page for her funeral expenses.—
Hannah Schoenbaum,
Los Angeles Times,
7 May 2026
-
On Wednesday, May 6, the daughter of the former Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson was spotted walking in central London.—
Janine Henni,
PEOPLE,
6 May 2026
Verb
-
Even in the midst of that sweltering Lagos day of thumping car music and raucous engines and the truck that honked at her for dancing too close, Miriam’s squeal stood out, a siren.—
‘Pemi Aguda,
Literary Hub,
6 May 2026
-
As the beat dropped, the friends jumped into action — tossing pink flower petals, dancing and laughing before embracing at a glam station.—
Janine Henni,
PEOPLE,
5 May 2026
Verb
-
But the public debuts of SpaceX and other companies could add pressure to the Magnificent Seven, given that investors rushing to make space for the IPOs will have to offload existing holdings.—
Sarah Min,
CNBC,
6 May 2026
-
In footage obtained by NBC DFW and Fox 4, Zapata could be seen rushing the resident to safety following the gunfire before being hit by shrapnel in his eye and calling authorities for assistance.—
Gabrielle Rockson,
PEOPLE,
6 May 2026
Verb
-
The actress — who is currently treading the boards as Connie Francis in the hit Broadway musical about crooner Bobby Darin's life, Just in Time — took to Instagram Stories over the weekend to call out audience members for shouting at her during performances.—
Staff Author,
PEOPLE,
6 May 2026
-
But even the past shows signs of treading water, with the team returning to schoolgirl squabbles while their survival isn’t in immediate danger.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
4 May 2026
Verb
-
No point hurrying toward a resolution that was always receding.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
1 Apr. 2026
-
Instead of hurrying to break up tents and scatter RVs, Lee and Oakland’s interim homelessness chief Sasha Hauswald want city workers to focus on minimizing trash and human waste around encampments.—
Grant Stringer,
Mercury News,
15 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Did the connotations of travelling with Spirit carry a sense of embarrassment?—
Doreen St. Félix,
New Yorker,
9 May 2026
-
Residents of multiple countries, including the United States, are being monitored for hantavirus after traveling on the MV Hondius, an Oceanwide Expeditions cruise ship now tied to several cases of the virus.—
Eve Chen,
USA Today,
8 May 2026
Verb
-
The baby pudu — currently just a few inches tall — has already been seen trotting alongside her mother, Posey.—
Ryan Brennan,
Sacbee.com,
24 Apr. 2026
-
The baby pudu, just a few inches tall, has already been spotted trotting confidently alongside Posey, rarely straying far from her side.—
Ryan Brennan,
Kansas City Star,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Other things flying up include flexible repair patches for sealing the space station’s hull, a replacement ultrasonic inspection tool, spare units for the station’s vibration monitoring system and parts to improve water processing and oxygen generation.—
Richard Tribou,
The Orlando Sentinel,
12 May 2026
-
The pair got the gold-star treatment from some European designers, with Chanel flying them over to attend the fall show and to dine privately with Karl Lagerfeld.—
Rosemary Feitelberg,
Footwear News,
11 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Stepping.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stepping. Accessed 12 May. 2026.
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