1
as in visiting
to make a brief visit
I just stepped in to say hi on my way to class
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in standing in
to serve as a replacement usually for a time only
couldn't find anyone to step in for me so that I could take a break from my caregiving duties
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of stepping in
Trotter’s wife, Tanya, echoes her husband’s enthusiasm and is even looking forward to stepping in the ring for some physicality, if needed.
—
Carl Lamarre, Billboard, 20 Sep. 2025
With Jeff Blashill stepping in as head coach, there's a clear focus on development and building a strong identity on both ends of the ice.
—Ben Verbrugge, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 Sep. 2025
With New Mexico’s cannabis market at a crossroads, a new association is stepping in to rally businesses, push reforms, and help guide the industry’s future.
—Benjamin Adams, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2025
But others did not blame the mother alone, instead criticizing the husband and even the child's aunt and grandparents for not stepping in.
—Deirdre Bardolf, FOXNews.com, 5 Aug. 2025
Carl Lamarre, Billboard, 20 Sep. 2025
With Jeff Blashill stepping in as head coach, there's a clear focus on development and building a strong identity on both ends of the ice.
—Ben Verbrugge, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 Sep. 2025
With New Mexico’s cannabis market at a crossroads, a new association is stepping in to rally businesses, push reforms, and help guide the industry’s future.
—Benjamin Adams, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2025
But others did not blame the mother alone, instead criticizing the husband and even the child's aunt and grandparents for not stepping in.
—Deirdre Bardolf, FOXNews.com, 5 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stepping in
Verb
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Social media transformed the Internet, drawing in millions of new users and starting a consolidation of website-visiting habits that continues to this day.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
22 Sep. 2025
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D’Albero hopes that the coverage of the Mondial du Fromage and her win there will get more Americans interested in visiting their neighborhood cheese store and trying new things.—
Lilit Marcus,
CNN Money,
22 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Imagine, for example, an early-nineteenth-century lady abolitionist, standing in cold weather, listening to a labor activist.—
Zadie Smith,
New Yorker,
22 Sep. 2025
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The atmosphere is reverent and energized, with attendees standing in collective praise hours before the formal program begins.—
Amanda Castro
Mandy Taheri
Peter Aitken,
MSNBC Newsweek,
21 Sep. 2025
Verb
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On the technical side of things, this jacket places warm fleece in just the right spots to keep you warm, substituting in lighter material on the sides, sleeves, and lower torso to allow room to breathe.—
Alice Bennett,
Travel + Leisure,
25 Sep. 2025
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Leucovorin, or folinic acid, can counteract those effects by substituting for folate and allowing the body’s folate processes to continue functioning in the presence of methotrexate.—
Alice Park,
Time,
23 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Smith had been filling in as James Daniel’s replacement as Miami’s starting right guard because of the pectoral injury that got Daniel’s placed on injured reserve.—
Omar Kelly,
Miami Herald,
27 Sep. 2025
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If your lawn is struggling right around a tree, try filling in with a few bulbs.—
Erica Browne Grivas,
Better Homes & Gardens,
27 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Some candidates running in the 2026 midterm have already invoked Kirk’s assassination in campaign ads and fundraising materials.—
Karissa Waddick,
USA Today,
27 Sep. 2025
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Jolly is among the candidates running in Florida's November 2026 gubernatorial election.—
Giulia Carbonaro,
MSNBC Newsweek,
19 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Gino Wang, JSerra, QB The sophomore has led the Lions (3-2) to three consecutive wins since taking over as the starer.—
Dan Albano,
Oc Register,
26 Sep. 2025
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Kehlani is pushing back against artificial intelligence taking over music after Xania Monet, a virtual artist, inked a $3,000,000 deal with Hallwood Media and already landed spots on the Billboard charts.—
Amber Corrine,
VIBE.com,
19 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Conklin hasn’t done much for Los Angeles since coming over in the offseason as a free agent, after the Chargers missed out on Evan Engram.—
Luca Evans,
Denver Post,
19 Sep. 2025
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Additional projects coming over the next couple of years include stretches of West Roosevelt Drive, West Lisbon Avenue and West National Avenue, Muhs said.—
Tom Daykin,
jsonline.com,
18 Sep. 2025
Verb
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But this year Swift has a new album dropping in just a few weeks.—
Toni Fitzgerald,
Forbes.com,
8 Sep. 2025
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The Republican president has repeatedly criticized both Washington and Chicago — Democratic bastions led by Black mayors — for out-of-control street crime, despite crime rates dropping in the two cities.—
Daniel C. Vock,
Chicago Tribune,
31 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Stepping in.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stepping%20in. Accessed 29 Sep. 2025.
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