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
This season, which consists of eight episodes, sees Valentina Garza stepping in as showrunner.
—
Abid Rahman, HollywoodReporter, 1 Apr. 2026
Body camera video shows Padilla immediately stepping in to help.
—Kelly Werthmann, CBS News, 25 Mar. 2026
Anthony Volpe Suffered a Shoulder Injury Volpe was missing from the Yankees’ Opening Day roster in March 2026, with José Caballero stepping in as the starting shortstop.
—Samantha Agate, Kansas City Star, 25 Mar. 2026
The stock successfully bounced off the $45 level, suggesting buyers are stepping in following the recent sell-off.
—Tony Zhang, CNBC, 11 Mar. 2026
Clearly, American is happy that the FAA is stepping in to intervene.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 4 Mar. 2026
April was stepping in for CJ Robbins, who was promoted to Minnesota’s defensive line coach.
—Andy Greder, Twin Cities, 11 Feb. 2026
The Budapest Prosecutor’s Office on Wednesday asked the courts to level a fine against Karacsony for stepping in to co-organize the event under the auspices of the capital municipality, according a statement published on Wednesday.
—Thomas Escritt, Bloomberg, 28 Jan. 2026
According to Ann Louise Lockhart, PsyD, ABPP, a licensed pediatric psychologist, stepping in too quickly when your kids face a challenge can unintentionally backfire.
—Janelle Jones, Parents, 28 Jan. 2026
Abid Rahman, HollywoodReporter, 1 Apr. 2026
Body camera video shows Padilla immediately stepping in to help.
—Kelly Werthmann, CBS News, 25 Mar. 2026
Anthony Volpe Suffered a Shoulder Injury Volpe was missing from the Yankees’ Opening Day roster in March 2026, with José Caballero stepping in as the starting shortstop.
—Samantha Agate, Kansas City Star, 25 Mar. 2026
The stock successfully bounced off the $45 level, suggesting buyers are stepping in following the recent sell-off.
—Tony Zhang, CNBC, 11 Mar. 2026
Clearly, American is happy that the FAA is stepping in to intervene.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 4 Mar. 2026
April was stepping in for CJ Robbins, who was promoted to Minnesota’s defensive line coach.
—Andy Greder, Twin Cities, 11 Feb. 2026
The Budapest Prosecutor’s Office on Wednesday asked the courts to level a fine against Karacsony for stepping in to co-organize the event under the auspices of the capital municipality, according a statement published on Wednesday.
—Thomas Escritt, Bloomberg, 28 Jan. 2026
According to Ann Louise Lockhart, PsyD, ABPP, a licensed pediatric psychologist, stepping in too quickly when your kids face a challenge can unintentionally backfire.
—Janelle Jones, Parents, 28 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stepping in
Verb
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Numerator data shows that shoppers are visiting 23% more retailers to purchase their groceries.—
Brandon Gomez,
CNBC,
17 Apr. 2026
-
In late March, a group of Connecticut business leaders, politicians and state economic development officials filed into a meeting room at the Capitol to hear from a visiting quintet of British lawmakers.—
P.R. Lockhart,
Hartford Courant,
17 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Eventually, people could not resist returning to their lives, to routines more comfortable than standing in the streets with the sun glaring in your eyes, squinting up to check the position of snipers on a roof, or working with cramping fingers sewing your tenth mask of the night.—
Hanif Abdurraqib,
New Yorker,
17 Apr. 2026
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When the nefarious Red Ribbon Army mounts a comeback, Piccolo and Gohan are the only fighters standing in its way.—
K. Thor Jensen,
PC Magazine,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Simply grab a ruler, pen, and blank sheet of paper to illustrate your space by substituting the dimensions of the room in feet for inches.—
Cameron Beall,
Southern Living,
11 Apr. 2026
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Yet Potter never considered substituting him.—
Jacob Whitehead,
New York Times,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Documentarian Tim Gray has found AI useful in filling in the visual gaps in his World War II films, and Rhode Island courts are using facial recognition and AI to monitor people, raising civil liberties concerns about how the data collected is being used.—
Kathleen Hill,
The Providence Journal,
11 Apr. 2026
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Tampa Bay is 0-4 in the four starts made by pitchers filling in for the rotation.—
John Romano,
The Orlando Sentinel,
11 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Four Republicans are also running in Tuesday's primary, but a Republican hasn't won in the district since 2010.—
Todd Feurer,
CBS News,
18 Mar. 2026
-
Miller, who has held the seat since 2018, chose not to seek reelection in favor of running in the crowded 2nd Congressional District race.—
Evy Lewis,
Chicago Tribune,
18 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Denver Mountain Parks will staff the welcome station at Echo Lake and manage the Mount Blue Sky Recreation Area, taking over that role from the Arapaho National Forest.—
John Meyer,
Denver Post,
14 Apr. 2026
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Almost a year to the day, in another surprise move, Malone is taking over a blueblood program with six national titles, a record 21 appearances in the Final Four and alums including Michael Jordan, James Worthy, Vince Carter and Atlantic Coast Conference career scoring leader Tyler Hansbrough.—
Aaron Beard,
Chicago Tribune,
7 Apr. 2026
Verb
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He will be joined by another former Spartan, with Melvin Strahl, a 6-foot-3 Swede who will be a sophomore eligibility-wise, reportedly coming over from East Lansing.—
Jess Myers,
Twin Cities,
13 Apr. 2026
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In Hillsborough, kids were coming over the back fence all the time.—
Wendy Bowman,
Robb Report,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Home values are dropping in some markets One big factor to note before tapping your equity right now is that home values are falling in many areas.—
Aly J Yale,
CBS News,
30 Mar. 2026
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Reports of passenger assaults began dropping in 2025, although not enough data has been released for last year to compute complete, comparable rates among the systems.—
Talia Soglin,
Chicago Tribune,
22 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Stepping in.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stepping%20in. Accessed 20 Apr. 2026.
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