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 Chips need physical space to operate, and that’s where real estate investment trusts, or REITs, step in. — Camila Grigera Naón, Fortune, 11 Aug. 2026 The $10 charge is only one step in Mexico's plan, with the fee scheduled to increase again over the next two years. — Kelly McGreal, FOXNews.com, 11 Aug. 2026 The first step in any cleanup is to identify which properties deserve attention. — Chris Bowling, ProPublica, 10 Aug. 2026 In my experience, more than four or five steps in a checklist dramatically hurts completion rates. — Osman Koc, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 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
  • The aid workers who once regularly visited her village to help pregnant women had stopped coming, after foreign aid cuts by the United States shuttered a program aimed at saving mothers’ and babies’ lives.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 13 Aug. 2026
  • There has been, though, a repeat of mistakes made elsewhere, including a homogenous design that leaves Swansea’s home boasting precious little of what made their old Vetch Field such a pleasure to visit.
    — Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of visit
Verb
  • Larson and his people were dismissive of Bronin’s campaign and seemed to think contempt could substitute for substance.
    — Kevin Rennie, Hartford Courant, 15 Aug. 2026
  • Alaves' Ángel Pérez was reprimanded by coach Quique Sánchez Flores after being substituted and punching the bench several times.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of substitute
Verb
  • Brandon Nimmo singled home the go-ahead run in the 10th inning and the Texas Rangers beat the Los Angeles Angels 4-1 on Monday night to snap a five-game road losing streak.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 11 Aug. 2026
  • The governing Labour Party and opposition Conservatives, Liberal Democrats and Greens all declined to run in Clacton.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of run in
Verb
  • The tradition took hold in 1963, when a young musician later known as Screaming Lord Sutch stood in a by-election.
    — Reagan Yip, CNN Money, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Lee said Alameda County and Oakland authorities shut down her lemonade stand in June and seized her equipment during an enforcement operation in Uptown Oakland.
    — Da Lin, CBS News, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of stand in
Verb
  • The ice cream, called tanada aisu, is made with rice from the terraces, oat milk, coconut milk, cane sugar and rice syrup, with no eggs or dairy.
    — Christopher Elliott, Forbes.com, 16 Aug. 2026
  • Initially called a foul ball, replay review showed that the ball scraped the outside of the foul pole.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of call
Verb
  • Aetrex orthotics are made from high grade polyurethane, engineered to fill in all the spaces between your foot and the ground to give you comfort and relieve foot and back pain.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 15 Aug. 2026
  • Baffled residents, who don’t know whether their data have been stolen or compromised, have been trying their best to fill in the blanks.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 15 Aug. 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 17 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of step in for Spanish Speakers

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