STEPPING Synonyms: 177 Similar and Opposite Words

stepping

verb

present participle of step

as in walking

to go on foot I stepped across the street for a quick lunch at the new diner

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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

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 So, Wayne made one of the hardest decisions of his young career, stepping away from the team to redshirt his sophomore season, preserve an extra year of eligibility and enter the transfer portal. — Connor Dullinger, Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2026 Drive your left knee in toward your chest, then quickly stepping it back to plank position. — Sarah Stiefvater, Flow Space, 23 Oct. 2026 Ahead of Wednesday night's season opener against the Golden State Warriors, the Lakers' superstar made an instant impression on everyday fans before even stepping onto the court. — Alejandro Avila Outkick, FOXNews.com, 22 Oct. 2026 About a month ago, the family of another NASCAR Hall of Famer, Darrell Waltrip, announced that Waltrip had been diagnosed with Frontotemporal Degeneration (FTD) and thus would be stepping away from the public spotlight. — Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 20 Oct. 2026 While chatting with the tabloid in London, Lancaster reportedly reaffirmed that her husband has no plans of stepping away from music completely. — Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 20 Oct. 2026 They were connected with von Detten, who had joined the company in 2018 after largely stepping away from acting. — Gene Maddaus, Variety, 20 Oct. 2026 At first glance, the surface appears solid, but stepping onto a quaking bog feels like walking on a vast, trembling waterbed. — Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2026 My mom has been telling me, ‘Please stop stepping on the back of your shoes’ my whole life. — Stephen Garner, Footwear News, 15 Oct. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for stepping

Verb

This also had a boat trip included, a lovely way to cool off after a day walking Barcelona’s lanes.

— Jaymi McCann, TheWeek, 3 Nov. 2026
Walking less than 500 meters indicates poor cardiorespiratory fitness; walking between 500 and 700 meters is acceptable; walking more than 700 is excellent.

— Laura Solla, Vogue, 3 Nov. 2026

Definition of walking

Verb

The dancing partners faced some brutal criticism from Ballas after performing their Argentine tango homage to The Omen.

— Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 28 Oct. 2026
For instance, there’s his portrait of four cheery little brown and white woolly dancing dogs (relatives of today’s bichons and poodles, perhaps) named Lusette, Madore, Rosette, and Moucheby.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 28 Oct. 2026

Definition of dancing

Verb

Simply put, Miami’s pass defense and run defense were outclassed by New England’s passing offense and rushing offense in the second half.

— Chris Perkins, Sun Sentinel, 2 Nov. 2026
Many existing clients began rushing to move their eggs and embryos to Albania or arrange last-minute retrievals.

— Megan Molteni, STAT, 2 Nov. 2026

Definition of rushing

Verb

Sent from pillar to post – to the bank’s Accounts, Payments and Claims treading dark puddled basement corridors and joining seemingly interminable lines.

— John Hopewell, Variety, 21 Oct. 2026
Videos also show survivors jumping from a rocky island and swimming to Coast Guard rescue swimmers treading rough seas.

— David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 29 Sep. 2026

Definition of treading

Verb

The workers were protesting potential pay cuts, with the road closures forcing cruise passengers to walk with their luggage instead of traveling by bus or car, the same outlet reported.

— Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 29 Oct. 2026
Yappy ends up playing the role of matchmaker and new best friend, pulling Billie towards her traveling contractor ex-boyfriend from high school, Hutch (Harding).

— Rachel LaBonte, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Oct. 2026

Definition of traveling

Verb

Quickley countered by trotting upcourt and sinking another 3 over the rookie.

— Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 22 Oct. 2026
Christiane Amanpour, who parlayed a job as a news assistant on CNN‘s foreign desk into a years-long globe-trotting assignment for the news giant, plans to step away from the media company in June.

— Brian Steinberg, Variety, 19 Oct. 2026