Home Synonyms step

Synonyms of step in English:

step


See US English definition of step

See UK English definition of step

See Spanish definition of paso

noun

1‘Frank took another step forward’

SYNONYMS
pace, footstep, stride

2‘she heard Ellis's step on the stairs’

SYNONYMS
footstep, footfall, tread, tramp

3‘she left the room with a springy step’

SYNONYMS
gait, walk, way of walking, tread, bearing, carriage

4‘the market is only a step from the end of the pier’

SYNONYMS
short distance, stone's throw, spitting distance
informal a hop, skip, and a jump

5‘Susan sat on the top step’

SYNONYMS
stair, tread, tread board
stairs, staircase, stairway
North American stoop

6‘there was a pint of milk on the step’

SYNONYMS
doorstep, sill

7‘the steps of a ladder’

SYNONYMS
rung, tread

8‘calling in the bailiffs is a very serious step’

SYNONYMS
course of action, measure, move, act, action, procedure, proceeding, initiative
manoeuvre, tactic, strategy, stratagem, operation
démarche

9‘a significant step towards a ceasefire’

SYNONYMS
advance, progression, development, step in the right direction, step forward, move, movement
breakthrough

10‘the first step on the managerial ladder’

SYNONYMS
stage, level, grade, rank, degree
phase
notch

verb

1‘she stepped off the gangway’

SYNONYMS
walk, move, tread, pace, stride

2‘the bull had stepped on his hat’

SYNONYMS
tread, stamp, trample, tramp
squash, crush, flatten

Phrases

    step by step


    SYNONYMS
    one step at a time, bit by bit, gradually, in stages, by degrees, slowly, steadily, slowly but surely
    rare gradatim
    take steps

    ‘the government must take steps to discourage age discrimination’


    SYNONYMS
    take action, take measures, act, take the initiative, move
    step in


    SYNONYMS
    intervene, intercede, become involved, get involved, act, take action, take measures, take a hand
    mediate, arbitrate, intermediate
    in step

    ‘he is utterly in step with mainstream American thinking’


    SYNONYMS
    in accord, in harmony, in agreement, in tune, in line, in keeping, in conformity, in accordance, in consensus, in consilience
    ANTONYMS

    out of step

    step down


    SYNONYMS
    resign, stand down, give up one's job, give up one's post, bow out
    retire, abdicate
    informal quit, call it a day
    ANTONYMS

    take up office

    watch one's step


    SYNONYMS
    be careful, take care, step carefully, step cautiously, walk carefully, walk cautiously, tread carefully, tread cautiously, exercise care, exercise caution, mind how one goes, look out, watch out, watch oneself, be wary, be circumspect, be chary, take heed, be attentive, be on one's guard, have one's wits about one, keep one's wits about one, be on the qui vive
    step on it


    SYNONYMS
    hurry up, get a move on, speed up, go faster, be quick
    informal get cracking, get moving, step on the gas, rattle one's dags
    British informal get one's skates on, stir one's stumps
    North American informal get a wiggle on
    South African informal put foot
    dated make haste
    out of step

    ‘the paper was often out of step with public opinion’


    SYNONYMS
    at odds, at variance, in disagreement, out of tune, out of line, not in keeping, out of harmony, at loggerheads, in opposition, at outs
    ANTONYMS

    in step

    step something up

    1‘the army stepped up its offensive in the north’


    SYNONYMS
    increase, intensify, strengthen, augment, escalate, scale up, boost
    informal up, crank up

    2‘I stepped up my pace’


    SYNONYMS
    speed up, increase, accelerate, quicken, hasten
    ANTONYMS

    decrease