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
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Recent Examples of stepping
This isn't the first time Ambudkar has shared his experience stepping away from Hamilton.
—
Dave Quinn, PEOPLE, 20 Apr. 2026
Companies are betting that humanoid robots powered by the latest AI models can eventually prove capable of stepping directly into workplaces designed for humans while flexibly tackling a wider range of tasks.
—Jeremy Hsu, ArsTechnica, 20 Apr. 2026
Store surveillance video shows Maden kicking Brown’s hand and stepping on his leg while Algerio holds Brown down on the ground.
—Rocco Parascandola, New York Daily News, 20 Apr. 2026
These secret spots provide a serene respite from the bustle of the main street and feel almost like stepping through a portal into the vias of Paris or Rome.
—Linnea Bailey, Southern Living, 18 Apr. 2026
The three of them address club members at a fundraiser; the sequence even starts with an employee stepping on an ant, just as Austin did in the first episode.
—Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 17 Apr. 2026
But if for someone reason Swayman needs a break, Korpisalo is more than capable of stepping for a game.
—Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 17 Apr. 2026
For the first time in my life, since stepping away from my family, that anxiety has disappeared.
—Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 16 Apr. 2026
Walking into Surrey’s Cafe and Juice Bar, feels like stepping through the back door of a shotgun home to smell Maw Maw making breakfast.
—Kate Kassin, Bon Appetit Magazine, 13 Apr. 2026
Dave Quinn, PEOPLE, 20 Apr. 2026
Companies are betting that humanoid robots powered by the latest AI models can eventually prove capable of stepping directly into workplaces designed for humans while flexibly tackling a wider range of tasks.
—Jeremy Hsu, ArsTechnica, 20 Apr. 2026
Store surveillance video shows Maden kicking Brown’s hand and stepping on his leg while Algerio holds Brown down on the ground.
—Rocco Parascandola, New York Daily News, 20 Apr. 2026
These secret spots provide a serene respite from the bustle of the main street and feel almost like stepping through a portal into the vias of Paris or Rome.
—Linnea Bailey, Southern Living, 18 Apr. 2026
The three of them address club members at a fundraiser; the sequence even starts with an employee stepping on an ant, just as Austin did in the first episode.
—Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 17 Apr. 2026
But if for someone reason Swayman needs a break, Korpisalo is more than capable of stepping for a game.
—Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 17 Apr. 2026
For the first time in my life, since stepping away from my family, that anxiety has disappeared.
—Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 16 Apr. 2026
Walking into Surrey’s Cafe and Juice Bar, feels like stepping through the back door of a shotgun home to smell Maw Maw making breakfast.
—Kate Kassin, Bon Appetit Magazine, 13 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stepping
Verb
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Imanaga tossed seven innings for the first time this season, limiting the Phillies to just three hits, including the home run, while walking one and striking out one batter.—
Meghan Montemurro,
Chicago Tribune,
22 Apr. 2026
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Cassidy has long advocated for vaccines Cassidy has spent years walking a political tightrope.—
Ali Swenson,
Los Angeles Times,
22 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
New Year’s Eve brought music and dancing to the central square.—
Lizzie Johnson,
New Yorker,
25 Apr. 2026
-
The Moon is in your sign dancing beautifully with Mercury, Mars and Saturn, encouraging you to make sensible, practical plans for the future, especially related to travel, publishing, medicine and the law.—
Georgia Nicols,
Denver Post,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
His friends can be seen rushing to him and carrying his body away.—
Zeena Saifi,
CNN Money,
22 Apr. 2026
-
And after spending all that money on Jaelan Phillips and picking two edge rushers in their first three picks in 2025, choosing another pass-rushing linebacker like Mesidor in the first round doesn’t make sense to me.—
Scott Fowler,
Charlotte Observer,
21 Apr. 2026
Verb
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An ocean away, a sandy trail in the ponderosa forests of northern Arizona demands treading just as deliberately when walkers reach a line of tree stumps arranged as stepping stones.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
22 Apr. 2026
-
California’s population has essentially been treading water since the pandemic.—
Terry Castleman,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
No point hurrying toward a resolution that was always receding.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
1 Apr. 2026
-
Instead of hurrying to break up tents and scatter RVs, Lee and Oakland’s interim homelessness chief Sasha Hauswald want city workers to focus on minimizing trash and human waste around encampments.—
Grant Stringer,
Mercury News,
15 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
After the match, Chelsea captain Reece James made a point of pushing McFarlane towards the travelling support to receive his congratulations.—
Cerys Jones,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2026
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Roughly 55% of people traveling along the avenue are doing so on a bus, city data says.—
Evan Simko-Bednarski,
New York Daily News,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Palate Power-Ups A squeeze or drizzle of these globe-trotting sauces punches up basic proteins, sandwiches, bowls, and more.—
Katlyn Moncada,
Better Homes & Gardens,
17 Apr. 2026
-
Far from the mortal enemies they are destined to become, the pair become friends and combine sleuthing skills to try and solve a globe-trotting mystery that unfolds over the eight episodes.—
Stewart Clarke,
Deadline,
14 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Having conceded twice in a losing effort last weekend at Portland for their first blemish of the year, LAFC met up with an Earthquakes (7-1-0, 21 points) team that was flying high under sporting director and head coach Bruce Arena.—
Josh Gross,
Daily News,
20 Apr. 2026
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The Bruins teammates didn’t pack any of their belongings before flying to New York to attend the draft, but after another cross-country flight home to Los Angeles, the pair had barely 24 hours to put their entire lives in boxes before heading back to the East Coast to join the Connecticut Sun.—
Emily Adams,
Hartford Courant,
20 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Stepping.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stepping. Accessed 25 Apr. 2026.
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