Definition of stepnext
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2
as in stage
an individual part of a process, series, or ranking the manual enumerates every step in the procedure for shutting down the assembly line

Synonyms & Similar Words

3
as in footstep
the mark or impression made by a foot steps in the sand leading into the water and back out again

Synonyms & Similar Words

4
as in path
steps plural the direction along which something or someone moves their steps led them through a long corridor

Synonyms & Similar Words

5
as in inch
a very small distance or degree he lives just a step away from his elderly mother, so he's there if she needs him for any reason

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

step

2 of 2

verb

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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 step
Noun
Each step sends a ripple through the spongy, thin mat, a slow undulating motion beneath your feet that surprises the senses, disorienting yet simultaneously strangely delightful. — Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2026 Knowing that before an executive steps behind a podium is part of understanding the audience, just as knowing the technical subject matter is, too. — Amanda Simonian, Forbes.com, 16 Oct. 2026
Verb
Production on The Batman II, which stars Robert Pattinson, had already experienced several delays before Reeves was forced to step away. — Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 16 Oct. 2026 On the afternoon of Game 4, with the New York Yankees looking to beat Derek Lowe and sweep the Sox, Boston’s Kevin Millar stepped on the field at Fenway Park and issued a warning. — Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for step
Recent Examples of Synonyms for step
Noun
  • The end of saving money and raising middle-class wages justifies the means, namely, the destruction of immigrant families.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 16 Oct. 2026
  • If buying chocolate means supporting a great cause, why not gift chocolate to everyone in your life this holiday season?
    — Kate Kassin, Bon Appetit Magazine, 16 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • Actor Alan Mandell, who died at 98, helped shape Los Angeles theater as a performer, director, administrator and arts supporter whose influence stretched from experimental stages to the Mark Taper Forum.
    — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2026
  • There was a swanky post All3Media-Banijay wedding party in Cannes’ iconic Carlton Hotel and Jeff Zucker and Marco Bassetti took to the MIPCOM stage.
    — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 15 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • In the reboot, Hobie Buchannon’s daughter returns to his life and wants to follow in her dad’s footsteps and train as a lifeguard in one of the most important beach jobs in the world.
    — Max Goldbart, Deadline, 12 Oct. 2026
  • But Candle House has also come up with stories squarely in the realm of realism — which also, by the way, follows in the footsteps of Rod Serling.
    — Chris Willman, Variety, 11 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • There’s relief in his escape but the path has left him feeling scorned, too.
    — Olivier Lafontant, Pitchfork, 19 Oct. 2026
  • Detours and shortcuts in the brain The cells and synapses of the brain aren’t arranged in rigid, linear paths for each task and experience.
    — Sean Mccabe, Hartford Courant, 18 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • The familiar one-box shape remains for the new E-Space Concept, though with massive 23-inch wheels at the corners, the proportions are a little more Hot Wheels or Matchbox than the 1984 version.
    — Jonathan M. Gitlin, ArsTechnica, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Some places received 2 to 5 inches of rain, while others in Southern California got essentially no rain.
    — Terry Castleman, Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • The actor and his wife, singer Dua Lipa, are frequently spotted walking their actual dog, a Labrador-Rottweiler named Golo.
    — Joelle Diderich, Footwear News, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Clotilde Charpentier, who could play music no better than a hen could float and paddle in the Patriarch’s Ponds, would walk behind John’s coffin, with a heavy black veil to shield herself from the January wind and people’s appraising looks.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 13 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • But the gamble paid off, and I was treated to a spellbinding display of auroras dancing across the Arctic sky.
    — Daisy Dobrijevic, Space.com, 16 Oct. 2026
  • The film features drunken sing-alongs and dancing with abandon in the family kitchen.
    — Clayton Davis, Variety, 15 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Tight end John Bates lined up out wide to the far side, motioning to hurry up.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 11 Oct. 2026
  • Some hurried to try to unmask the anonymous woman behind the accusations.
    — Lauren Mascarenhas, CNN Money, 30 Sep. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Step.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/step. Accessed 19 Oct. 2026.

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