1
as in screwing around
to be sexually unfaithful
if she catches him stepping out on her, she'll divorce him without a moment's hesitation
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in dying
to stop living
my greedy relatives are only being nice to me because they expect me to step out any time now
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in mixing
to take part in social activities
waited until a year after her husband's death before stepping out again
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 out
Cruz Beckham brought surrealist footwear codes to Paris Fashion Week on Friday, stepping out in JW Anderson’s frog loafers — a playful collaboration with Wellipets that fused PVC nostalgia with avant-garde design.
—
Maggie Clancy, Footwear News, 3 Oct. 2025
And so, Stephanie is just, much like me, stepping out of the norm in her culture.
—Destiny Jackson, Deadline, 3 Oct. 2025
Days before stepping out to Wimbledon, Rodrigo, also 22, performed a headlining set at Glastonbury Festival on June 29, and Partridge watched from the wings.
—Erin Clack, PEOPLE, 20 Sep. 2025
Sure, Levy still has uncertain reservations about stepping out of his comfort zone, but that hasn’t stopped him from enjoying the luxury hotel reservations made for him, as well as his newfound appreciation for indelible adventures.
—Laura Manske, Forbes.com, 7 Sep. 2025
Jones tried to make a hero play on the Chargers’ final third-down conversion, stepping out of his assignment and out of his containment lane to rush the passer.
—Kansas City Star, 6 Sep. 2025
Scoping out an area for gear, secrets, or just a good hiding spot from enemies can easily lead to stepping out of bounds and leaving the space entirely to an adjacent one.
—Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 22 Aug. 2025
Bongiovi, 23, also kept his fashion laid-back, stepping out in a black T-shirt, baseball cap and khaki pants.
—Michelle Lee, People.com, 21 Aug. 2025
And Sydney Sweeney isn’t letting controversy keep her from stepping out.
—Rebecca Morin, USA Today, 5 Aug. 2025
Maggie Clancy, Footwear News, 3 Oct. 2025
And so, Stephanie is just, much like me, stepping out of the norm in her culture.
—Destiny Jackson, Deadline, 3 Oct. 2025
Days before stepping out to Wimbledon, Rodrigo, also 22, performed a headlining set at Glastonbury Festival on June 29, and Partridge watched from the wings.
—Erin Clack, PEOPLE, 20 Sep. 2025
Sure, Levy still has uncertain reservations about stepping out of his comfort zone, but that hasn’t stopped him from enjoying the luxury hotel reservations made for him, as well as his newfound appreciation for indelible adventures.
—Laura Manske, Forbes.com, 7 Sep. 2025
Jones tried to make a hero play on the Chargers’ final third-down conversion, stepping out of his assignment and out of his containment lane to rush the passer.
—Kansas City Star, 6 Sep. 2025
Scoping out an area for gear, secrets, or just a good hiding spot from enemies can easily lead to stepping out of bounds and leaving the space entirely to an adjacent one.
—Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 22 Aug. 2025
Bongiovi, 23, also kept his fashion laid-back, stepping out in a black T-shirt, baseball cap and khaki pants.
—Michelle Lee, People.com, 21 Aug. 2025
And Sydney Sweeney isn’t letting controversy keep her from stepping out.
—Rebecca Morin, USA Today, 5 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stepping out
Verb
-
What if some big musician is screwing around at sound check and sings one of [Spinal Tap’s] songs.—
Melinda Newman,
Billboard,
3 Sep. 2019
Verb
-
The thriller series was left on a cliffhanger, with President Rayburn (Michael McKean) dying at the end of season two.—
Abid Rahman,
HollywoodReporter,
1 Oct. 2025
-
Women who miss their first screening appointment for breast cancer could have a 40% higher long-term risk of dying from the disease, according to a new study.—
Katia Hetter,
CNN Money,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The first video work in the series, Ready Mix, 2021, follows the strangely hypnotic rumble of cement production at an Idaho mixing plant, from sand to finished block.—
Anne Reeve,
Artforum,
1 Oct. 2025
-
Plus, the unique colors are great for standing out at the gym or mixing into your capsule wardrobe; throw on an oversized hoodie or a denim jacket for an easy off-duty outfit.—
Jenifer Calle,
Glamour,
30 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
This isn’t the first time that the couple was surrounded by cheating rumors.—
Lea Veloso,
StyleCaster,
30 Sep. 2025
-
She and Jon, who married in 1999, divorced in 2009, the same year as the cheating rumors.—
Carson Blackwelder,
PEOPLE,
29 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Cushy upholstered chairs will ensure that guests want to keep mingling.—
Audrey Lee,
Architectural Digest,
3 Oct. 2025
-
Streep also greeted her character’s apparent inspiration in another clip, mingling backstage with global editorial director Anna Wintour.—
Glenn Garner,
Deadline,
27 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
With less money being invested by record labels into touring, that has created a top-heavy artist hierarchy, with the rich getting richer and the poor and middle class falling by the wayside.—
Roy Trakin,
Rolling Stone,
1 Oct. 2025
-
The group acknowledged a need to modernize the government's data gathering processes, which have been hampered by falling survey response rates.—
Scott Horsley,
NPR,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Why is At Home going out of business?—
Tiffany Acosta,
AZCentral.com,
3 Oct. 2025
-
During the 2018-2019 shutdown, the USDA paid February benefits early, at the end of January, and Congress passed emergency funding to keep payments going out in March.—
Mary Walrath-Holdridge,
USA Today,
2 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Like some other customers, Micah Fannin was checking out Dutch Bros for the first time.—
Patricia Gallagher Newberry,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
2 Oct. 2025
-
The thriller — more horrific than straight-up scary — is worth checking out, if only for the late Brittany Murphy's nervy turn as a razor-wielding woman confined to a sanatorium.—
Randall Colburn,
Entertainment Weekly,
2 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Stepping out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stepping%20out. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share