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
In a school board setting, this means stepping away from personal perspectives and working to understand differing perspectives in order to make good decisions for students, employees and taxpayers as a whole.
—
Pioneer Press Elections Team, Twin Cities, 16 Oct. 2025
The songs tend to be three different love stories, with overlapping narrators stepping on each other’s toes.
—Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 16 Oct. 2025
And District 2 board member Tom Groneman is stepping away after 12 years of service.
—Eleanor Nash, Kansas City Star, 15 Oct. 2025
Barbara Palvin leaned into playful volume and sleek minimalism while out in Brooklyn on Monday night, stepping away from her recent run of lace pumps and toward a fall boot silhouette that’s fast becoming a seasonal staple for celebrities.
—Maggie Clancy, Footwear News, 14 Oct. 2025
That's allowed the two leaders to make decisions without stepping on each other's toes.
—Alex Sherman, CNBC, 14 Oct. 2025
If your Wi-Fi is protected by a weak password or uses outdated encryption, a skilled attacker might gain access without ever stepping inside your house.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 12 Oct. 2025
Panelists will unpack the day-to-day challenges of designing action, the hurdles performers face on set, and the growing influence of stunt designers stepping behind the camera.
—Matthew Carey, Deadline, 9 Oct. 2025
Nobody has ever looked better stepping off the bus.
—Ian O'Connor, New York Times, 8 Oct. 2025
Pioneer Press Elections Team, Twin Cities, 16 Oct. 2025
The songs tend to be three different love stories, with overlapping narrators stepping on each other’s toes.
—Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 16 Oct. 2025
And District 2 board member Tom Groneman is stepping away after 12 years of service.
—Eleanor Nash, Kansas City Star, 15 Oct. 2025
Barbara Palvin leaned into playful volume and sleek minimalism while out in Brooklyn on Monday night, stepping away from her recent run of lace pumps and toward a fall boot silhouette that’s fast becoming a seasonal staple for celebrities.
—Maggie Clancy, Footwear News, 14 Oct. 2025
That's allowed the two leaders to make decisions without stepping on each other's toes.
—Alex Sherman, CNBC, 14 Oct. 2025
If your Wi-Fi is protected by a weak password or uses outdated encryption, a skilled attacker might gain access without ever stepping inside your house.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 12 Oct. 2025
Panelists will unpack the day-to-day challenges of designing action, the hurdles performers face on set, and the growing influence of stunt designers stepping behind the camera.
—Matthew Carey, Deadline, 9 Oct. 2025
Nobody has ever looked better stepping off the bus.
—Ian O'Connor, New York Times, 8 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stepping
Verb
-
The duo ended up walking away from the group and a record deal to create KISS.—
Jacqueline Weiss,
PEOPLE,
18 Oct. 2025
-
That's the hardest part, is walking away from all those young men in that locker room — the recruits that were committed to us.—
Matt Audilet,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Meanwhile warm-up demonstrations in Portland feature protestors in inflatable animal costumes—lots of frogs, along with unicorns, chickens, dinosaurs dancing in the streets, providing an alternative visual to the menace of masked enforcement agents.—
Nancy Gibbs,
Time,
17 Oct. 2025
-
Fridays are the night to attend to enjoy extra activities like singing and dancing at the Great Big BOO Musical Show, as the crew tries to save Halloween from the curse of Wendella the Witch.—
John Metcalfe,
Mercury News,
16 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Edmisten finished with 165 yards rushing and scored two TDs.—
Dan Albano,
Oc Register,
17 Oct. 2025
-
Walker added 81 yards rushing for Tri-County, while O’Brien had 65 yards receiving.—
Brendan Connelly,
Boston Herald,
17 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
That season’s Sharks — a talented group, to be sure — ended up treading water for the first three months before coming together in the second half and eventually reaching the Stanley Cup Final.—
Kevin Kurz,
New York Times,
9 Oct. 2025
-
Video from the scene, obtained by Newsflare, shows the animal cautiously swimming toward the agency's boat as officers extend a makeshift flotation device to give the big cat a place to rest, rather than treading water.—
Moná Thomas,
PEOPLE,
7 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Pedestrians are hurrying past to find their places on Fifth Avenue, but the girls have a different kind of readiness about them.—
Rebecca Mead,
New Yorker,
5 Oct. 2025
-
That's why Amazon shoppers are hurrying to grab a soft and fluffy comforter for fall.—
Melody Kazel,
PEOPLE,
25 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The Athmile Wide-Leg Sweatpants, which shoppers love for traveling, running errands, and relaxing at home, have a super-soft fleece lining and pockets big enough for smartphones.—
Sian Babish,
PEOPLE,
20 Oct. 2025
-
Navigating this while traveling becomes trickier.—
Clay Abney,
Travel + Leisure,
20 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Zimmer returns to Fire Country this season as Renée Hoffman, a globe-trotting lawyer and Vince's high school girlfriend.—
Allison DeGrushe,
Entertainment Weekly,
17 Oct. 2025
-
The display features a larger-than-life horse sculpture trotting through birch trees created from piano keys.—
Jean E. Palmieri,
Footwear News,
16 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
According to a report from Clarify Capital, six-figure earners are flying economy, turning to discount grocery chains to hunt for better deals, getting thrifty with buying clothes, and scaling back on subscriptions.—
Emma Burleigh,
Fortune,
14 Oct. 2025
-
Flights between the two cities are primarily used for connections for passengers flying to and from Tucson.—
Michael Salerno,
AZCentral.com,
14 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Stepping.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stepping. Accessed 21 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share