1
as in walking
to go on foot
I stepped across the street for a quick lunch at the new diner
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in dancing
to perform a series of usually rhythmic bodily movements to music
she was in her element, happily stepping around the dance floor
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in rushing
to proceed or move quickly
many people wanted to linger before the president's bier, but guards kept the line of mourners stepping forward
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of stepping
The heist sees the pair execute the crime without the actual gang ever stepping foot inside the bank.
—
Alex Ritman, Variety, 27 Apr. 2026
After requiring a medical timeout, Swiatek, 24, briefly returned to the court before stepping away again in tears.
—Desiree Anello, PEOPLE, 26 Apr. 2026
There seems to be this notion that Mike Vrabel displayed some sort of accountability by stepping away — if briefly — from the Patriots and seeking counseling because of a relationship with NFL reporter Dianna Russini.
—Mike Lupica, New York Daily News, 25 Apr. 2026
New England Patriots coach Mike Vrabel, embroiled in a controversy involving his relationship with former NFL reporter Dianna Russini, is stepping away from the team indefinitely to seek counseling and be with his family.
—Armando Salguero Outkick, FOXNews.com, 23 Apr. 2026
Even brief time outdoors can offer a mental reset, especially stepping away from screens.
—Lesly Gregory, AJC.com, 23 Apr. 2026
To enjoy a 1,000-strong collection of art without ever stepping foot in a museum.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Apr. 2026
Feeling cool mud squish between toes, stepping on pine needles and exploring meditation caves, scent stations and dark rooms transform a routine walk into an immersive experience.
—ABC News, 22 Apr. 2026
While Anthropic and OpenAI are busy duking it out over enterprise and government customers, Google is stepping right in to gobble up everyday users that are already accustomed to turning to the tech company to run their email, meetings, and other large swaths of their lives.
—Reed Albergotti, semafor.com, 22 Apr. 2026
Alex Ritman, Variety, 27 Apr. 2026
After requiring a medical timeout, Swiatek, 24, briefly returned to the court before stepping away again in tears.
—Desiree Anello, PEOPLE, 26 Apr. 2026
There seems to be this notion that Mike Vrabel displayed some sort of accountability by stepping away — if briefly — from the Patriots and seeking counseling because of a relationship with NFL reporter Dianna Russini.
—Mike Lupica, New York Daily News, 25 Apr. 2026
New England Patriots coach Mike Vrabel, embroiled in a controversy involving his relationship with former NFL reporter Dianna Russini, is stepping away from the team indefinitely to seek counseling and be with his family.
—Armando Salguero Outkick, FOXNews.com, 23 Apr. 2026
Even brief time outdoors can offer a mental reset, especially stepping away from screens.
—Lesly Gregory, AJC.com, 23 Apr. 2026
To enjoy a 1,000-strong collection of art without ever stepping foot in a museum.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Apr. 2026
Feeling cool mud squish between toes, stepping on pine needles and exploring meditation caves, scent stations and dark rooms transform a routine walk into an immersive experience.
—ABC News, 22 Apr. 2026
While Anthropic and OpenAI are busy duking it out over enterprise and government customers, Google is stepping right in to gobble up everyday users that are already accustomed to turning to the tech company to run their email, meetings, and other large swaths of their lives.
—Reed Albergotti, semafor.com, 22 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stepping
Verb
-
Actor Sarah Jessica Parker was seen walking down the grand staircase at the New York Public Library with Queen Camilla after a literacy event this afternoon.—
Emma Caughlan,
NBC news,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Pérez got through five innings unscathed despite walking four batters.—
Chad Bishop,
AJC.com,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
New Year’s Eve brought music and dancing to the central square.—
Lizzie Johnson,
New Yorker,
25 Apr. 2026
-
The Moon is in your sign dancing beautifully with Mercury, Mars and Saturn, encouraging you to make sensible, practical plans for the future, especially related to travel, publishing, medicine and the law.—
Georgia Nicols,
Denver Post,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Wagner already missed 48 games during the regular season while working his way back from injury, and the caution surrounding his current calf strain is understandable given the risk associated with rushing that type of issue.—
Mike Bianchi,
The Orlando Sentinel,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Let the conversation unfold without rushing to resolve it.—
Tarot.com,
Sun Sentinel,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
An ocean away, a sandy trail in the ponderosa forests of northern Arizona demands treading just as deliberately when walkers reach a line of tree stumps arranged as stepping stones.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
22 Apr. 2026
-
California’s population has essentially been treading water since the pandemic.—
Terry Castleman,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
No point hurrying toward a resolution that was always receding.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
1 Apr. 2026
-
Instead of hurrying to break up tents and scatter RVs, Lee and Oakland’s interim homelessness chief Sasha Hauswald want city workers to focus on minimizing trash and human waste around encampments.—
Grant Stringer,
Mercury News,
15 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
After the match, Chelsea captain Reece James made a point of pushing McFarlane towards the travelling support to receive his congratulations.—
Cerys Jones,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2026
-
Roughly 55% of people traveling along the avenue are doing so on a bus, city data says.—
Evan Simko-Bednarski,
New York Daily News,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The baby pudu — currently just a few inches tall — has already been seen trotting alongside her mother, Posey.—
Ryan Brennan,
Sacbee.com,
24 Apr. 2026
-
The baby pudu, just a few inches tall, has already been spotted trotting confidently alongside Posey, rarely straying far from her side.—
Ryan Brennan,
Kansas City Star,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The drone can be seen intercepting a low-flying Ka-52, maneuvering towards its port weapon pylon before the footage dramatically cuts.—
Christopher McFadden,
Interesting Engineering,
27 Apr. 2026
-
According to Delta's policies, there are no restrictions for flying while pregnant on the airline.—
Irene Wright,
USA Today,
27 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Stepping.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stepping. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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