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
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
In one frightening scene, Springsteen steps in and hits his dad with a baseball bat in an effort to protect his mom.
—Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 23 Oct. 2025
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
In one frightening scene, Springsteen steps in and hits his dad with a baseball bat in an effort to protect his mom.
—Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 23 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for steps in
Verb
-
In recent years, Rivkin has formed a close bond with Olga Smirnova, a clinical social worker who visits him weekly through a home-visit program run by Maimonides Medical Center.—
Hannah Kliger,
CBS News,
28 Jan. 2026
-
Those can be office audits and involve meeting with an IRS examiner at a local IRS office, or field audits, where an IRS agent visits your home or place of business to review your records.—
Kelly Phillips Erb,
Forbes.com,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Target’s four-person meal costs less than $20, about the same as in 2024, but substitutes green beans and cream of mushroom soup for French bread and frozen corn — also not an apples-to-apples comparison.—
Dave Smith,
Fortune,
8 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Dip Buyer Analyses for insights on how the stock has recovered from significant drops in the past.—
Trefis Team,
Forbes.com,
26 Jan. 2026
-
Now, but as the statistics and figures come in here in Minneapolis, there's double-digit drops in crime, coupled with a lot of bad people and bad things being taken off of your streets.—
Esme Murphy,
CBS News,
13 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Trump’s allegation that NATO countries won’t be there when requested stands in stark contrast to reality.—
Pan Pylas,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Jan. 2026
-
This strategy stands in stark contrast to other major AI players, who have raced to ink billion-dollar deals to bolster their leadership on the technology.—
Alex Harring,
CNBC,
5 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
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
-
InStyle tester Chelsea achieved full, fluffy brows thanks to this gel, which shapes, tints, and fills in sparse areas.—
Genevieve Cepeda,
InStyle,
17 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Outside of a brief overlap in Ring of Honor in 2004, the matchup never happened, despite Punk’s runs in WWE and AEW and Styles’ defining stretches in TNA, NJPW, and eventually a decade-long run in WWE.—
Rob Wolkenbrod,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
-
Mural Festival runs in early fall, adding fresh walls to the permanent collection.—
Audrey T. Williams,
Mercury News,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The forecast calls for a low of 7 degrees in Blytheville and 9 degrees in Jonesboro on Saturday night.—
Bill Bowden,
Arkansas Online,
29 Jan. 2026
-
This is something the study calls the Endorphin Economy.—
Alex Ledsom,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Steps in.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/steps%20in. Accessed 29 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
