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
After stepping away from tennis, Williams gave birth to her second child, a daughter named Adira, in 2023.
—
ABC News, 1 June 2026
The city announced Wednesday that Hupp will be stepping away effective June 19.
—Shannon Tyler
may 31, Idaho Statesman, 31 May 2026
Jameson Black Barrel Black Barrel is the punchier sibling to standard Jameson and a sensible bridge for a bourbon drinker stepping toward Irish whiskey.
—Paul Caputo, Forbes.com, 31 May 2026
Owners should manage their dogs during delivery times by keeping their pets in a separate room before opening the front door and ensuring the door is latched before stepping outside, according to the release.
—Los Angeles Times, 29 May 2026
Aside from Buckley stepping off the boat, there were calls for Canfield to be removed from the driver’s role, which is essentially the team’s de facto leader, steering the boat and making the final tactical decisions.
—Andrew Rice, New York Times, 29 May 2026
Country star Jake Worthington is stepping away from the spotlight.
—Christina Dugan Ramirez, FOXNews.com, 25 May 2026
There’s nothing quite like stepping off a warm plane or walking down a sun‑soaked cobblestone street and instantly feeling a cool breeze on demand.
—Julie Rousseau, Travel + Leisure, 24 May 2026
Brendan Fraser is on hand as well, playing a jerky LAPD detective who keeps stepping on Diamond’s toes, thwarting the private eye’s shrewd attempts to crack the case.
—Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 20 May 2026
ABC News, 1 June 2026
The city announced Wednesday that Hupp will be stepping away effective June 19.
—Shannon Tyler
may 31, Idaho Statesman, 31 May 2026
Jameson Black Barrel Black Barrel is the punchier sibling to standard Jameson and a sensible bridge for a bourbon drinker stepping toward Irish whiskey.
—Paul Caputo, Forbes.com, 31 May 2026
Owners should manage their dogs during delivery times by keeping their pets in a separate room before opening the front door and ensuring the door is latched before stepping outside, according to the release.
—Los Angeles Times, 29 May 2026
Aside from Buckley stepping off the boat, there were calls for Canfield to be removed from the driver’s role, which is essentially the team’s de facto leader, steering the boat and making the final tactical decisions.
—Andrew Rice, New York Times, 29 May 2026
Country star Jake Worthington is stepping away from the spotlight.
—Christina Dugan Ramirez, FOXNews.com, 25 May 2026
There’s nothing quite like stepping off a warm plane or walking down a sun‑soaked cobblestone street and instantly feeling a cool breeze on demand.
—Julie Rousseau, Travel + Leisure, 24 May 2026
Brendan Fraser is on hand as well, playing a jerky LAPD detective who keeps stepping on Diamond’s toes, thwarting the private eye’s shrewd attempts to crack the case.
—Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 20 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stepping
Verb
-
Lake Bachar pitched the first 2 2/3 innings for Miami, striking out three and walking one.—
CBS Miami Team,
CBS News,
3 June 2026
-
The example shown in broad daylight for all to see was a career criminal who was released early by the Massachusetts Parole Board (no surprise there) walking down Memorial Drive in broad daylight, shooting indiscriminately.—
Toby Leary,
Boston Herald,
3 June 2026
Verb
-
In doing so dancing, much like writing, becomes an act of generational integration and re-membering.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 May 2026
-
The video went viral of us just dancing and having fun with the song.—
Lucas Villa,
Rolling Stone,
28 May 2026
Verb
-
Micah Parsons doesn’t sound like someone rushing to play football.—
Matt Schneidman,
New York Times,
3 June 2026
-
While in the autonomous and action-oriented sign of Aries, however, we’re called to lead without rushing the process.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
2 June 2026
Verb
-
Apparently, the man had been treading water for about 11 hours.—
Skyler Trepel,
Entertainment Weekly,
30 May 2026
-
The actress — who is currently treading the boards as Connie Francis in the hit Broadway musical about crooner Bobby Darin's life, Just in Time — took to Instagram Stories over the weekend to call out audience members for shouting at her during performances.—
Staff Author,
PEOPLE,
6 May 2026
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
Verb
-
Best Women’s Clothing Deals My favorite part of traveling, besides the destination itself, is curating the ultimate travel wardrobe that perfectly matches the vibe of the trip.—
Julia Morlino,
Travel + Leisure,
29 May 2026
-
That’s where parachutes made of nylon and Kevlar are stitched together for everything from space capsules coming back to land on Earth or one day traveling to the surface of Mars or dropping military personnel on beachheads around the world.—
Pat Maio,
Oc Register,
29 May 2026
Verb
-
Douglas Friedman’s upcoming monograph, Full Spectrum (Vendome Press), illuminates the extraordinary level of access the globe-trotting photographer has cultivated over the course of his career.—
Mayer Rus,
Architectural Digest,
29 May 2026
-
Video footage from the May 6 incident shows the small dog, whose name is not known, trotting up to Sydnei Everett's grandfather's porch in Nashville, where his Uber Eats meal had just been delivered.—
Saman Shafiq,
USA Today,
24 May 2026
Verb
-
How about flying a chopper over the Great Barrier Reef from the on-site helipad?—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 June 2026
-
Beside her, the dog shakes itself, droplets flying from it, then fixes her with an appraising gaze.—
Maggie O’Farrell,
Literary Hub,
2 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Stepping.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stepping. Accessed 4 Jun. 2026.
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