STEPS Synonyms: 191 Similar and Opposite Words

steps 1 of 2

noun

plural of step

as in path

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

steps

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of step

as in walks

to go on foot I stepped across the street for a quick lunch at the new diner

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in dances

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

as in speeds

to proceed or move quickly many people wanted to linger before the president's bier, but guards kept the line of mourners stepping forward

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 steps

Noun

The other two, Descript and Resemble AI, had taken steps to make nonconsensual cloning harder. — Muskaan Arshad, Fortune, 24 Oct. 2026 Yet over the past year, Netanyahu has taken steps that angered Trump and others in his administration, including strikes in Lebanon and Gaza that undercut his regional peace efforts. — Tal Shalev, CNN Money, 24 Oct. 2026 This means for this approach, there is no need for specialized manufacturing steps often required by some alternative materials, such as thin-film lithium niobate. — Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 24 Oct. 2026 Some Virginia universities have quietly been taking steps to provide scholarships to descendants, as required under a 2021 state law. — ABC News, 24 Oct. 2026 The menus include a Light Brightness setting, which adjusts image brightness (and laser power) in 10 steps. — M. David Stone, PC Magazine, 24 Oct. 2026 In the legal challenge of the warning label law, the trade group argues that companies are already taking steps to make sure children are using their platforms responsibly. — Stephen Hobbs, Sacbee.com, 23 Oct. 2026 Many prospective citizens are now unable to participate in the midterm elections, as the lack of an approval even after completing all the steps to be naturalized has put their lives in limbo. — Alec Dent, Washington Post, 23 Oct. 2026 Outdoor amenities include an amphitheater, tennis court, and gated steps leading to a secluded beach cove. — Wendy Bowman, Robb Report, 23 Oct. 2026

Verb

The vehicle then accelerates forward as an officer steps toward it with his gun drawn. — Dan Gallo, NBC news, 23 Oct. 2026 Advertisement No end to the season could have been more apt than Joanne and Noah pledging their eternal love while, in a gorgeous beachfront rental just steps away, their parents and siblings tear each other apart. — Judy Berman, Time, 22 Oct. 2026 Rooms With the Hanoi Opera House just steps away, each of Capella Hanoi's 47 rooms and suites imagines the private quarters of an opera legend. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Oct. 2026 Once a person steps inside and closes the door, the outside world fades away and an immersive audio experience invites one to pause, breathe and reconnect with oneself. — Lisa Lockwood, Footwear News, 22 Oct. 2026 The letter questioned if the technology would strain air traffic control’s system and what steps the FAA has taken to validate the accuracy and safety of the technology. — Mira Bhakta, The Hill, 14 Oct. 2026 Axel Rodríguez Olivas nervously steps onstage, carrying a violin. — Jessica Hill, Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct. 2026 From when the bucket drops to when Carrie steps off the stage, in real time, is about 90 seconds. — Alex Zalben, IndieWire, 9 Oct. 2026 Repeat steps four and five for 10 straight days to get $1,000 in FanCash. — Outkick, FOXNews.com, 8 Oct. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for steps

Noun

Plans also incorporate a 10-foot-wide paved side path along the school side of the corridor, providing a separated walking and biking trail.

— Randy Moll, Arkansas Online, 26 Oct. 2026
Baltzor, and hired riders, had to hoof it through heavy smoke into the mountains to extract their cattle from the path of the fires.

— Anna King, NPR, 25 Oct. 2026

Definition of path

Verb

While the live casting moment feels intense, the decisions that determine who walks, and who doesn’t, are the visible end of a process that starts long before any hopeful model enters the room.

— Lucy Maguire, Vogue, 21 Oct. 2026
Adam is being self-loathing, but Lee, who was listening, walks away.

— Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of walks

Verb

There’s something in the imperfection of humanity, and the interior life of someone who dances or even someone who just smokes a cigarette, that’s not quite there yet.

— Hattie Lindert, Pitchfork, 20 Oct. 2026
First, the sequence pays homage to the nightclub scene in Gilda (1946), in which Rita Hayworth dances in a long shot amid ogling male patrons, tracked by a concentrated spotlight.

— Harmon Siegel, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026

Definition of dances

Verb

Researchers have identified a new bacterial enzyme that speeds up the breakdown of polyesters and bioplastics.

— Muskan Bhatia, Interesting Engineering, 21 Oct. 2026
For health care CFOs, the challenge is distinguishing between an AI tool that speeds up billing and one that helps patients get the right care in the right setting—potentially changing the economics of care itself.

— Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of speeds

Noun

If a prescription costs $500 through insurance but $100 through Cost Plus Drugs, patients should be able to take the cheaper route and have that spending count toward their deductibles and out-of-pocket maximums.

— Emma Witman, Fortune, 21 Oct. 2026
Fewer people pay directly for medical care, and government heavily subsidizes demand without increasing supply, a sure route to higher prices.

— Editorial Board, Washington Post, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of route

Verb

Trump treads carefully The leaders last met in Beijing just four months ago, and could meet twice more later this year.

— Aamer Madhani, Los Angeles Times, 20 Sep. 2026
Through rapid-fire verbal repartee, constant close-ups, and frantic cuts, Deramas treads a careful line between tragedy and comedy, the latter a psychological weapon against the former.

— Lé Baltar, IndieWire, 13 Aug. 2026

Definition of treads

Verb

If someone hurries you, slow the exchange and name what feels good in your body, like sitting down before deciding on plans.

— Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 11 June 2026
Nix almost always hurries his throws when a blitz comes Harvey’s way, regardless of whether the rookie RB picks it up capably or not.

— Luca Evans, Denver Post, 23 Dec. 2025

Definition of hurries

Noun

There are few households in Israel that haven’t been affected in some way by the events that have played out since, leaving a sense of profound grief and insecurity that lingers across the Israeli society.

— Yarden Segev, NBC news, 27 Oct. 2026
The second-year fifth-round pick started at the MIKE spot and handled green-dot responsibilities on his way to recording six tackles and being active throughout the night.

— Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 Oct. 2026