step in

verb

Definition of step innext
1
as in to visit
to make a brief visit I just stepped in to say hi on my way to class

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
as in to substitute
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 step in The bystander who stepped in to stop a gunman at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, Oregon, has come forward and identified himself as Kaylub Giamanco, a lifelong Bend resident who has two daughters at the school. — Kerry Breen, CBS News, 16 Oct. 2026 Some have misjudged the strength of the surface mat, stepping in the wrong place or breaking through into the cold water below. — Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2026 Led by an expert mountain safety team, the pair practiced coiling rope, cutting steps in ice walls, learning a Tyrolean traverse. — Tamara Southward, Condé Nast Traveler, 16 Oct. 2026 The latest move by Taipei — a central node in global semiconductor manufacturing — is a significant step in curtailing black market sales to Chinese companies seeking to bypass US curbs. — Prashant Rao, semafor.com, 16 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for step in
Recent Examples of Synonyms for step in
  1. visit
  2. substitute
  3. run in
  4. stand in
  5. call
  6. fill in
Verb
  • When the cast visited Japan in March 2025, Mystery Channel hosted a special event attended by 270 lucky fans chosen from applicants nationwide, giving them the opportunity to meet and interact with the cast.
    — Ed Meza, Variety, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Shohei Ohtani emerged from the visiting dugout at American Family Field with a bat in his hand, and the mass of media members scattered in foul territory up the third-base line shifted his way, pulled by the magnetic force that is Ohtani’s stardom.
    — Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of visit
Verb
  • Suarez scored his 14th and 15th goals before he was substituted off in the 61st minute.
    — Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 11 Oct. 2026
  • So might be Haaland, who asked to be substituted midway through the second half of Norway's final Nations League game, but that might have been because of fatigue.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of substitute
Verb
  • Friday’s exhibition contest featured a 22-0 KU run in the first half, the Jayhawks responding to Pitt State grabbing an early 22-21 lead.
    — Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 17 Oct. 2026
  • The left-hander started Game 1 on Monday and allowed two runs in five innings.
    — Joe Reedy, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of run in
Verb
  • But a host of hurdles stands in the way of widespread adoption.
    — Christopher Vourlias, Variety, 13 Oct. 2026
  • But other winter squash like acorn or red kuri can stand in as desired.
    — Rebecca Firkser, Bon Appetit Magazine, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of stand in
Verb
  • Perhaps this is why fashion mogul Nigo calls his latest venture Human Made.
    — Matt Alt, Fortune, 18 Oct. 2026
  • The Associated Press called and emailed city and Police Department officials but did not immediately receive responses.
    — Sophie Bates, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of call
Verb
  • The ability for anyone to generate strategy, code, or creative work in seconds effectively filled in the moats built on blitzscaling overnight.
    — Matt Alt, Fortune, 18 Oct. 2026
  • Seyfried, now literally playing a character in playing Holmes, also fills in for moments that Oppenheim didn’t or couldn’t record.
    — Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of fill in

Browse Nearby Words

stepfathers
step in
step into
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Step in.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/step%20in. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of compunction

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Can' vs. 'May'

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
artwork of illustrated limes with the text limes and smile with an arrow connecting the two words
Quiz: Spot the Anagram! Scramble these words to find new words with the e...
See All