steps in

Definition of steps innext
present tense third-person singular of step in
1
2
as in substitutes
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

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 steps in Indeed, this proliferation of formats aligns with the proliferating number of steps in consumers’ fragrance routines. Noor Lobad, Footwear News, 9 Feb. 2026 Aura steps in during those quiet stretches, offering engagement instead of an empty room. Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 26 Jan. 2026 The federal officer steps in front of the Honda SUV, parked nearly perpendicular across a one-way residential street in Minneapolis, with snow piled up on the curb. Claire Galofaro, Fortune, 9 Jan. 2026 City Councilman steps in Baltimore City Councilman Mark Parker said he's heard from several neighbors about the issue. Andrew Adeolu, CBS News, 9 Jan. 2026 Taipei has taken several steps in recent years to incorporate drones into its military doctrine. Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 9 Jan. 2026 While the water utility doesn’t yet have an official stance on the bill, Moore said his initial impression is that the measure is taking steps in the right direction. Emily L Mahoney, Sun Sentinel, 9 Jan. 2026 Colman Domingo plays stern patriarch Joe Jackson, Nia Long portrays matriarch Katherine Jackson, Miles Teller steps in as attorney/advisor John Branca, and Larenz Tate brings Motown mogul Berry Gordy to life. Okla Jones, Essence, 6 Nov. 2025 Another peptide, hexapeptide-11, steps in as a protective shield, slowing the breakdown of your natural HA so those moisture levels stay high over time. Christa Joanna Lee, Allure, 30 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for steps in
Verb
  • Jelly Roll, who himself spent time in a Nashville juvenile detention center as a youth before becoming an arena-headlining artist and multi-award winner, regularly visits jails and detention centers, speaking with inmates and delivering a message of hope and encouragement.
    Jessica Nicholson, Billboard, 17 Feb. 2026
  • Jackson also visits South Africa speaking out against apartheid.
    Darcel Rockett, Chicago Tribune, 17 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • Executive interpretation increasingly substitutes for legislative intent.
    Alejandro Reyes, Washington Post, 3 Feb. 2026
  • Charlton hit back through Miles Leaburn’s 57th-minute goal, but Marc Guiu swiftly replied and substitutes Pedro Neto and Enzo Fernandez put the gloss on the scoreline in stoppage time.
    Cerys Jones, New York Times, 12 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • The impact is expected to hit the bottom of the employment pyramid hardest, with research finding big drops in hiring among 22- to 25-year-olds in tech and customer service, The Economist reported.
    Prashant Rao, semafor.com, 16 Feb. 2026
  • According to voting experts, such drops in confidence and fears about voter intimidation are alarming — and raise serious questions about voter turnout in a pivotal midterm election that could radically reshape American politics.
    Kevin Rector, Los Angeles Times, 16 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • That stands in stark contrast to cities like Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, Denver and Portland which use a variety of funding streams to pay for a range of indigent services.
    Chaya Tong, Austin American Statesman, 6 Feb. 2026
  • If the rest of the lineup holds, the Rock the Country festival will be held in two-night stands in cities around the country this spring and summer.
    Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 6 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • As the day progresses, the community fills in naturally.
    Dallas Morning News, Dallas Morning News, 1 Feb. 2026
  • Phibbs said his grandmother’s story is integral and historically fills in gaps recognizing people who might have been either overlooked or there wasn’t enough information on them.
    Livi Stanford, Hartford Courant, 27 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • Manufacturers told Sourcing Journal that many brands have shifted orders to other countries, including India, Vietnam and Cambodia, citing political stability as a key concern, while also demanding tighter margins and shorter, more flexible production runs in Bangladesh.
    Mayu Saini, Sourcing Journal, 16 Feb. 2026
  • Westlake and Crespi are also on impressive runs in Division 5.
    Justin Vigil Zuniga, Daily News, 16 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • In a city, the first 100 meters (328 feet) of earth act as a thermal sponge, soaking up heat from human activity—what Philipp Blum, a professor of engineering geology at Germany’s Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, calls the subsurface urban heat island.
    Vanessa Bates Ramirez, Scientific American, 18 Feb. 2026
  • And although this recipe calls for the instant version of Cream of Wheat, using the regular will yield a pancake with a bit more of the very light crunch that won these beauts so many fans.
    Amy Drew Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 18 Feb. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Steps in.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/steps%20in. Accessed 21 Feb. 2026.

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