Definition of stepnext
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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

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

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

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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
This is exactly why these essential steps to maximize your business value work even for founders who think their business is too small or too ordinary to be worth much. Lien De Pau, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026 May 21 – June 20 A group idea can get moving once someone names the next step. Tarot.com, The Orlando Sentinel, 29 Aug. 2026
Verb
After stepping off the Orient Express at Santa Lucia railway station, the couple made their way, hand-in-hand, to a nearby water taxi. Chanel Vargas, InStyle, 30 Aug. 2026 Munetaka Murakami made the quick decision to step on the bag and then throw to the plate, where catcher Drew Romo tagged out Trevor Larnach for an unconventional inning-ending double play. Lamond Pope, Chicago Tribune, 29 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for step
Recent Examples of Synonyms for step
Noun
  • The Gulf states have experimented with ship-to-ship transfers and other means of moving crude around Iranian restrictions.
    Hamidreza Azizi, Time, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Living with endometriosis means becoming an expert on highly specialized ingredients and constantly cross-checking product labels.
    Bella Webb, Vogue, 28 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • And some of the outlook may have less to do with the immediate issues and more about life stage.
    R. Eric Thomas, Chicago Tribune, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Almost nine months later, the company's stock has hit an all-time high, its box office is breaking records and the stage is set to carry its momentum through the end of 2026.
    Sarah Whitten, CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • Taiwan is also pursuing a program to encourage companies to improve their shareholder value, following in the footsteps of Japan and South Korea.
    Nicholas Gordon, Fortune, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Homer has followed in his father’s footsteps into acting, joining the ensemble of Ryan Murphy’s The Shards in 2026.
    Stephanie Sengwe, PEOPLE, 31 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • Her path is profoundly reshaped by an encounter with Mari (Okamoto), a Japanese theater director battling cancer.
    Zac Ntim, Deadline, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Security camera footage shows the shocking moment flood water crashes through the Nepal-China border area, with people seen running away as the water appears to wipe out everything in its path.
    Billy Stockwell, CNN Money, 26 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • Each 27x14x15-inch bag has a 24-gallon capacity, can accommodate up to 100 pounds, and can be used for longer-term storage, too.
    Stephanie Osmanski, Better Homes & Gardens, 25 Aug. 2026
  • That is technically true but completely beside the point, the public health equivalent of noting that the tide has only crept up a few inches while standing in a basement that is starting to flood.
    A.J. Russo, Baltimore Sun, 25 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Bhargavendra Singh walked with dignity at their head, making a ceremony of the affair.
    Leslie E. Tassell, Outdoor Life, 27 Aug. 2026
  • The team has invested too much in Joe Milton III and Sam Howell to let either guy walk.
    Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Barney & Friends, the enormously popular and widely mocked PBS series about a singing, dancing purple dinosaur, is the obvious touchstone for the children’s-show-as-hellscape in the new movie Buddy.
    Alison Willmore, Vulture, 28 Aug. 2026
  • As skirts got shorter and the Jazz Age changed how women dressed, women wanted to show off their feet and looked for secure shoes for dancing.
    Karla Rodriguez, Footwear News, 27 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Jeremiah Martin had a quarterback hurry on third down, forcing a throwaway.
    Kevin Fishbain, New York Times, 23 Aug. 2026
  • The other officers hurried to the second scene as Hernandez tackled a fleeing Edgar to the ground.
    Cristóbal Reyes, The Orlando Sentinel, 20 Aug. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Step.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/step. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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