1
as in walking
to go on foot
I stepped across the street for a quick lunch at the new diner
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
In one sequence, an officer is seen reaching into the struggle empty-handed and stepping away holding a gun, which appears to have been removed from Pretti's waistband.
—
Sarah N. Lynch, CBS News, 27 Jan. 2026
This psychological pattern can create a difficult cycle where stepping away from work feels threatening rather than restorative, and incomplete tasks carry an emotional weight that extends well beyond the office.
—Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 26 Jan. 2026
For the first time in my life, since stepping away from my family, that anxiety has disappeared.
—Ashley Hume, FOXNews.com, 26 Jan. 2026
It’s seen as a way to lower the risk of burnout without actually stepping away from the whole situation.
—Korin Miller, SELF, 22 Jan. 2026
When the vehicle began to move forward slowly, another agent standing in front of the SUV drew a firearm and fired at least two shots through the windshield while stepping backward.
—Robert Salonga, Mercury News, 9 Jan. 2026
Customers today research extensively before stepping inside.
—Parin Moradiya, Chicago Tribune, 9 Jan. 2026
As the teams were leaving the court after the game, the forwards briefly exchanged words, with Spurs guard De’Aaron Fox stepping between them in an attempt to deescalate the situation.
—Oc Register, 8 Jan. 2026
Gen Z is already stepping away from alcohol.
—Greta Cross, USA Today, 8 Jan. 2026
Sarah N. Lynch, CBS News, 27 Jan. 2026
This psychological pattern can create a difficult cycle where stepping away from work feels threatening rather than restorative, and incomplete tasks carry an emotional weight that extends well beyond the office.
—Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 26 Jan. 2026
For the first time in my life, since stepping away from my family, that anxiety has disappeared.
—Ashley Hume, FOXNews.com, 26 Jan. 2026
It’s seen as a way to lower the risk of burnout without actually stepping away from the whole situation.
—Korin Miller, SELF, 22 Jan. 2026
When the vehicle began to move forward slowly, another agent standing in front of the SUV drew a firearm and fired at least two shots through the windshield while stepping backward.
—Robert Salonga, Mercury News, 9 Jan. 2026
Customers today research extensively before stepping inside.
—Parin Moradiya, Chicago Tribune, 9 Jan. 2026
As the teams were leaving the court after the game, the forwards briefly exchanged words, with Spurs guard De’Aaron Fox stepping between them in an attempt to deescalate the situation.
—Oc Register, 8 Jan. 2026
Gen Z is already stepping away from alcohol.
—Greta Cross, USA Today, 8 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stepping
Verb
-
Victoria Falls and the Zambezi River showcase some of the world’s greatest natural spectacles, while South Luangwa National Park is renowned for its walking safaris and night drives.—
Laura Begley Bloom,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
-
The publication process, on the other hand, is like walking around a carnival.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The video appears to show Sohail dancing with Orthodox men inside the headquarters.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
30 Jan. 2026
-
True to the mountain's name, natural light abounds—look for sun spots dancing across the walls as the shadows shift across the canyon.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
With the most recent round of layoffs at Meta, plenty of online commenters have been rushing to declare virtual reality and the metaverse dead.—
Cortney Harding,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
-
Video footage verified by The New York Times shows a member of staff rushing to an entrance to the consulate, where an agent appears to have opened the door.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Forbes has compiled a list of 20 big private equity zombies—businesses that are either scaling back, like Vestar, or simply treading water.—
Hank Tucker,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
-
Teams treading water make necessary moves, not declarative ones.—
Evan Grant,
Dallas Morning News,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
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But one weekend in November, people who would typically be hurrying by, staring down at their phones, stopped.—
The Editors,
Curbed,
15 Dec. 2025
-
Butler began hurrying Boise State and pushing up the tempo, which allowed the Broncos to score off several backdoor cuts and slip screens for big dunks and layups at the rim.—
Shaun Goodwin,
Idaho Statesman,
6 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
For Ty Dolla Sign, the perfect Sunday begins in the sky, traveling back to Los Angeles from wherever his career has last taken him.—
Kailyn Brown,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Jan. 2026
-
The driverless Waymo, which was traveling at 17 miles per hour, quickly hit the brakes and collided with the child at a speed of roughly 6 miles per hour (Waymo claimed in its blog post that a human driver in the same situation would have only had time to slow to 14 mph).—
Alexei Oreskovic,
Fortune,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The area is so nationally notorious that the Border Patrol chose it to stage an invasion here in July, complete with a literal cavalry of agents trotting down a soccer field where kids usually play while National Guard troops sat inside armored Humvees on Wilshire Boulevard.—
Gustavo Arellano,
Los Angeles Times,
22 Jan. 2026
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Starring Evan Peters, Rebecca Hall, Jeremy Pope, Anthony Ramos and Ashton Kutcher, The Beauty explores the secret, privileged and dark realms of vanity and perfection-seeking within a globe-trotting crime thriller backdrop.—
Jeff Conway,
Forbes.com,
21 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Quayle said that partially because of new restrictions on Newark flying, United will have aircraft available.—
Ted Reed,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
-
However, on January 29, the Black Hawk was flying following an FAA memorandum which allowed it to be turned off.—
Alexandra Skores,
CNN Money,
27 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Stepping.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stepping. Accessed 31 Jan. 2026.
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