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
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
-
Luke Chau, a senior left-hander, threw a complete game two-hitter, striking out three and walking one.—
Eric Sondheimer,
Los Angeles Times,
14 May 2026
-
Gallagher threw 6 2/3 innings of shutout ball before walking Jackson Oman in the seventh, who came in to score.—
John Maffei,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
Jordan Firstman’s Club Kid found the beat during the film’s world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival on Friday afternoon, dancing its way to an electric seven-minute standing ovation.—
Lily Ford,
HollywoodReporter,
15 May 2026
-
Now that linear television is about as hip as dancing the Charleston, it’s sort of faded in relevance, but leave it to Bravo, which sometimes feels like the last cable channel standing, to turn it into a big deal.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
15 May 2026
Verb
-
Achane was the Dolphins’ lone Pro Bowl player in 2025, rushing for 1,350 yards, which is third-most in Dolphins history behind Ricky Williams’ 2002 and 2003 seasons.—
David Furones,
Sun Sentinel,
14 May 2026
-
UpToDate is now rushing to implement its own AI tool, called Expert AI.—
Jared Perlo,
NBC news,
13 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
-
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.—
Tomris Laffly,
Variety,
17 May 2026
-
No point hurrying toward a resolution that was always receding.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Hamaguchi, who co-wrote the screenplay with Léa Le Dimna, spent two years developing the project in France, traveling between Tokyo and Paris and conducting actor workshops to familiarize himself with how French performers approach text.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
15 May 2026
-
Brentford end their season with a home game against Crystal Palace on Sunday before travelling to Anfield to face Liverpool on the final day on May 24.—
Nnamdi Onyeagwara,
New York Times,
15 May 2026
Verb
-
Although his life has turned into a globe-trotting affair, Calva’s permanent residence remains in Mexico City.—
Carlos Aguilar,
Los Angeles Times,
12 May 2026
-
The psychological revenge thriller of Season One opens up into a globe-trotting espionage thriller taking Reece across the Indian Ocean, Southern and Northern Africa, the Middle East, and Europe.—
Rosy Cordero,
Deadline,
11 May 2026
Verb
-
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 18 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
