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 From ice vibrations to magnetic signals, researchers are finding new ways to collect Arctic data without stepping onto the ice. — Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 6 Sep. 2026 But after stepping outside of the vehicle, Stevens said, the driver did not comply with officers’ requests. — Jenny Jarvie follow, Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 2026 For frontman and primary songwriter Nathan Willett, the exercise has resembled stepping through a time portal. — Spin Staff, SPIN, 4 Sep. 2026 Around the world, scientists are working in less stereotypical environments on unusual research projects, such as gently stepping on different parts of a venomous snake, to work out what exactly will make the animal bite a human. — Jack Guy, CNN Money, 3 Sep. 2026 After stepping away from the show for Season 14, the model quickly returned for the 15th season in 2020 and remained as a judge until Season 19 in 2024. — Joelle Goldstein, USA Today, 2 Sep. 2026 The Trojans, who took up too much floor space on the Bowl stage to do any marching, per se, were themselves preceded by Stroll Groove, a small dance troupe that specializes in the slightly nostalgic art of stepping. — Chris Willman, Variety, 2 Sep. 2026 Day being out opens the door for true freshman JJ Dunnigan, who has impressed since stepping on campus in the spring, to have a significant role early on Friday. — Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 2 Sep. 2026 During therapy, Matias practices stepping, balance and body control, using sensors and specialized exercises to help improve his movement and coordination. — Angelique Brenes, PEOPLE, 1 Sep. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for stepping

Verb

The high resolution scan creates a virtual 3D model of the site with an accuracy range of less than 2 centimeters, and involves walking around the archaeological site with an instrument called a LiDAR scanner.

— Margherita Bassi, Popular Science, 3 Sep. 2026
Michigan and Indiana allow public walking along portions of their Great Lakes shorelines, while Wisconsin’s law remains less clear.

— Claudia Levens, jsonline.com, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of walking

Verb

Savchenko has been actively pursuing opportunities outside of dancing and is dabbling with a career in acting.

— Sameen Chaudhry, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2026
At its El Segundo headquarters, dancing bots priced from about $2,000 to nearly $90,000 could fill roles in education, housework, security and warehouses.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of dancing

Verb

Kuper even guessed Mannion could game plan and call a game just for rushing.

— Zach Berman, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026
Compared to his first year in Indianapolis when the Colts were 20th in the NFL in rushing, the team saw a jump to seventh in the league in his second year when Adams began taking on more of an influence in the run game.

— Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9 Sep. 2026

Definition of rushing

Verb

Corle continued flagging and minutes later McCoy was back on the trail, hurrying to catch up.

— Jan Thacker, Outdoor Life, 3 Sep. 2026
That’s how Drake Maye ended his latest two-minute drill at Patriots training camp Monday, a meandering march that began around midfield and ended with Maye hurrying the offense to the 3-yard line with 10 seconds on the clock.

— Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 10 Aug. 2026

Definition of hurrying

Verb

Only the boy’s early obsession with the keyboard—initially discouraged by his parents—pointed to his destiny as a globe-trotting concert pianist, a composer in the major classical genres, and a fluent essayist and autobiographer to boot.

— Matthew Gurewitsch, Air Mail, 29 Aug. 2026
With his dog trotting closely behind him, Harlow greeted fans as many waited in line for New Balance backpacks and swag.

— Ruby Grisin, Louisville Courier Journal, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of trotting

Verb

Peden has their own professional flying grooms that travel with the horses for championships and Olympic flights, while there are also vets and stable grooms, such as Vard on board.

— Danielle Rossingh, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026
Roundabout 100, most of them leased, flying more than double that number in flights each day to destinations across the globe.

— Andrew Nusca, Fortune, 8 Sep. 2026