1
as in visits
to make a brief visit
I just stepped in to say hi on my way to class
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
Set an agenda for a meeting, then confirm next steps in writing so good ideas don’t get forgotten.
—
Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 2 Mar. 2026
Two thousand of them took their first steps in skates.
—Cary Goodman, New York Daily News, 23 Feb. 2026
Federal workers have taken the first steps in a $32 million maintenance of the Blue Mesa Dam, the largest of three dams that were built in the 1960s to create Colorado's biggest reservoir.
—Logan Smith, CBS News, 22 Feb. 2026
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
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
Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 2 Mar. 2026
Two thousand of them took their first steps in skates.
—Cary Goodman, New York Daily News, 23 Feb. 2026
Federal workers have taken the first steps in a $32 million maintenance of the Blue Mesa Dam, the largest of three dams that were built in the 1960s to create Colorado's biggest reservoir.
—Logan Smith, CBS News, 22 Feb. 2026
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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for steps in
Verb
-
Freedom Tour city visits below.—
Alexandra Skores,
CNN Money,
2 Mar. 2026
-
Find the right balance between peace of mind, privacy, and efficiency when a cleaning crew visits your home.—
Jessica Safavimehr,
Southern Living,
2 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Young Man in a Hurry substitutes status anxiety for race.—
Helen Lewis,
The Atlantic,
24 Feb. 2026
-
This kind of both-sides-ism, increasingly common in right-leaning partisan media ecosystems, substitutes balance of the blame for balance of the facts.—
Reader Commentary,
Baltimore Sun,
16 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Americans under 45 have sharply turned against him, with particularly steep drops in approval among Latino voters.—
Nik Popli,
Time,
23 Feb. 2026
-
Richmond had seen drops in killings and non-fatal shootings, Edwards said.—
Eduardo Cuevas,
USA Today,
21 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
In a chaotic and unpredictable world, somebody with artificially TV-friendly looks stands in front of a map that isn’t there and attempts to prognosticate the unknowable future.—
Daniel Fienberg,
HollywoodReporter,
27 Feb. 2026
-
During these meetings, Amodei stands in front of the entire company with a three- or four-page document and speaks for an hour on topics ranging from product strategy to geopolitics, as well as the broader AI industry.—
Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez,
Fortune,
26 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
-
Moss allowed the most runs of his career and was lit up for six hits and six runs in two innings.—
Tony Catalina,
Austin American Statesman,
2 Mar. 2026
-
The boat is as dry and yellow as a crumpet, but the paint elsewhere runs in long tendrils, or swirls into the swampy alluvial ground.—
Zachary Fine,
New Yorker,
23 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The Dow Jones consensus calls for 215,000 initial unemployment claims.—
Jason Gewirtz,
CNBC,
5 Mar. 2026
-
The project’s ultimate blueprint calls for a massive, kilometer-wide circular power station in geostationary orbit, 36,000 kilometers (22,370 miles) above Earth.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
4 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Steps in.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/steps%20in. Accessed 6 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
