1
as in walked
to go on foot
I stepped across the street for a quick lunch at the new diner
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2
as in danced
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 hurried
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
as in tapered
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Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of stepped
Toria Sheffield, PEOPLE, 6 Sep. 2025
As North Korean leader Kim Jong Un stepped off his armored green train in Beijing on Tuesday, greeted by Chinese officials shaking his hand and leading him down a red carpet, many observers noticed a young girl walking behind him, smiling politely, dressed in black with her hair tied in a bow.
—Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 3 Sep. 2025
Garrett Stubbs stepped on the field in a Phillies uniform for the first time this season, replacing Kyle Schwarber at second base during a tie game in the ninth.
—Charlotte Varnes, New York Times, 2 Sep. 2025
Staff believe Nasha may have stepped on the calf's neck.
—Kirsten Fiscus, Nashville Tennessean, 2 Sep. 2025
Since 2023, the NFL stepped on the NBA's Christmas Day plans with three games.
—Jim Sergent, USA Today, 1 Sep. 2025
And though Prince Harry has stepped away from the royal family, Prince William will one day be King, which is a complication for Andrew.
—Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 31 Aug. 2025
An employee stepped outside, eyes wide, fascinated by how the dust cloud was moving.
—Hayleigh Evans, AZCentral.com, 28 Aug. 2025
Into this literally mindless universe stepped human beings.
—Philip Maymin, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2025
Adjective
Katharine stepped away from public life in 1996 in order to teach music.
—Toria Sheffield, PEOPLE, 6 Sep. 2025
As North Korean leader Kim Jong Un stepped off his armored green train in Beijing on Tuesday, greeted by Chinese officials shaking his hand and leading him down a red carpet, many observers noticed a young girl walking behind him, smiling politely, dressed in black with her hair tied in a bow.
—Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 3 Sep. 2025
Garrett Stubbs stepped on the field in a Phillies uniform for the first time this season, replacing Kyle Schwarber at second base during a tie game in the ninth.
—Charlotte Varnes, New York Times, 2 Sep. 2025
Staff believe Nasha may have stepped on the calf's neck.
—Kirsten Fiscus, Nashville Tennessean, 2 Sep. 2025
Since 2023, the NFL stepped on the NBA's Christmas Day plans with three games.
—Jim Sergent, USA Today, 1 Sep. 2025
And though Prince Harry has stepped away from the royal family, Prince William will one day be King, which is a complication for Andrew.
—Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 31 Aug. 2025
An employee stepped outside, eyes wide, fascinated by how the dust cloud was moving.
—Hayleigh Evans, AZCentral.com, 28 Aug. 2025
Into this literally mindless universe stepped human beings.
—Philip Maymin, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stepped
Verb
-
Palencia did not record an out in the ninth inning and walked off the mound with a right shoulder injury that will likely force the Cubs to reevaluate their entire late-game strategy.—
Patrick Mooney,
New York Times,
8 Sep. 2025
-
In a video shared by Fox Sports on the social media platform X, several fans scrambled for the ball and eventually a man wearing Phillies gear stood up with it in hand and walked over and gave it to a boy and hugged him.—
Jasmine Laws,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
In addition, Democratic nominee and State Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani danced in Caribbean style for the crowd, while former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, also running for mayor as an independent, offered a thumbs-up to spectators.—
Robert Birsel
Gabe Whisnant,
MSNBC Newsweek,
2 Sep. 2025
-
Even the newbiest among us donned harnesses and quite literally danced in the redwood trees, swinging and moving through the forest canopy under the guidance of artistic director Kara Starkweather.—
Kim Westerman,
Forbes.com,
1 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
One of Marron’s sisters hurried in to see what had happened.—
Harriet Ramos,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
3 Sep. 2025
-
The Hurricanes’ offensive line also protected Beck, who was only sacked once and hurried once and had plenty of time to throw most of the night.—
Tim Casey,
Forbes.com,
1 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Domingo’s jacket was paired with black tapered trousers and black shoes.—
Julia Teti,
Footwear News,
2 Sep. 2025
-
With a short base cut, tapered front locks, and slightly longer layers, the Trinity cut sits somewhere between a pixie cut and a bob, borrowing from the cyberpunk aesthetic of the films.—
Jeanne Ballion,
Vogue,
26 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
On a recent August morning, several unmarked SUVs with tinted windows sped to the curb outside a Home Depot in the Van Nuys area of Los Angeles.—
Elliot Spagat,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Sep. 2025
-
Halsey was the one who turned the key in the ignition and sped off.—
Larisha Paul,
Rolling Stone,
4 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Smaller organizations can migrate relatively quickly, but large enterprises with complex, mission-critical workloads will require extensive planning and phased implementations.—
Steve McDowell,
Forbes.com,
1 Sep. 2025
-
Because of that overt threat, all of the hostage deals so far were designed as phased and gradual, according to an Israeli source with knowledge of the negotiations.—
Tal Shalev,
CNN Money,
25 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
In the tall-grass prairies that once spread out across pre-settlement Indiana, tiny ground squirrels scurried through the wildflowers, grasses and shrubs.—
Karl Schneider,
IndyStar,
21 Aug. 2025
-
Brett Ryan, aided by Robbie Carter’s young daughter, scurried to place markers at the sites of the longest throws, before chucking the corpses back to the starting line.—
Nathaniel Rich,
Harpers Magazine,
20 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
In a season-opening 38-21 win over Colorado State, Coleman rushed for 177 yards and two scores after rushing for 1,053 yards and 10 TDs for the Huskies in 2024.—
Joe Davidosn,
Sacbee.com,
7 Sep. 2025
-
Harrell rushed six times for -24 yards (sack totals included), including a long of eight yards.—
Hunter Bailey,
Charlotte Observer,
7 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Stepped.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stepped. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
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