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 Once Emily commits to stepping away from what tethered her to her past, a new freedom, and maybe new fears, emerge. — Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 20 July 2026 That person’s only responsibility is watching the children — not stepping away to talk with friends or scrolling through a phone. — Katia Hetter, CNN Money, 18 July 2026 The effect of stepping onto the shore was instant and alluring. — Sam Knight, New Yorker, 17 July 2026 Dinner here feels less like checking off a reservation and more like stepping directly into Charlotte dressed at its best. — Rafael Peña, Miami Herald, 16 July 2026 The data buried inside a hard year is the most valuable asset most companies are currently stepping over on their way to a press release. — Tim Albright, Forbes.com, 10 July 2026 When first stepping on the Scarlet Lady, cruisers are met with a rousing, upbeat staff that serve as gurus around the ship and are experts on everything from beauty to juicing. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 July 2026 Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce were seen stepping off of a private jet in Burbank, California. — Ashleigh Carter, InStyle, 10 July 2026 In addition to stepping away from the CEO post, the exec is also leaving the Fubo board. — Dade Hayes, Deadline, 9 July 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for stepping

Verb

For Jill Little, the director of YPP, the program has been a steadying force in walking alongside the girls through the uncertainty of pregnancy, childbirth and raising a child.

— Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 24 July 2026
Video from a Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reporter showed a large group of protesters walking down a street Wednesday evening.

— Marin Scott, NBC news, 23 July 2026

Definition of walking

Verb

Of course, the classic sing-along method gets kids singing and dancing at home—plus repeating the lyrics on their own might help kids remember numbers, letters, and colors even better.

— Parents, Parents, 23 July 2026
Robot maker Unitree, known for the dancing humanoid robots that have become a fixture of Chinese state television broadcasts, is also pursuing a Shanghai listing.

— Nicholas Gordon, Fortune, 23 July 2026

Definition of dancing

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

Definition of hurrying

Verb

The investigation is part of a broader crackdown on what’s known as birth tourism, the practice of traveling to another country, so a child is born there.

— Tiffani Jackson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 19 July 2026
New attractions include the Hip Hop ride, a traveling grand carousel with horses valued over $30,000 each and the first-ever First Peoples’ Art Showcase.

— Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 18 July 2026

Definition of traveling

Verb

In the end, Nolan made his production a truly globe-trotting affair, spanning six countries across 91 days.

— Brianna Zigler, Entertainment Weekly, 17 July 2026
The arduous, globe-trotting shoot, helmed by director Christopher Nolan, took Matt Damon and the cast to locales around the world Greece, Morocco, Iceland, Scotland and Italy.

— Lily Brown, PEOPLE, 16 July 2026

Definition of trotting

Verb

Breakker connected with a flying cross body over the barricade on Breakker as Cole talked up Evans developing an edge.

— Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026
But years later, some of the highest-flying professional clubs have folded due to financial mismanagement, and dozens of soccer officials have been banned or imprisoned, and numerous teams ensnared in an anti-graft campaign.

— Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 21 July 2026