Step definition

Step as a noun

1. any maneuver made as part of progress toward a goal

   "the police took steps to reduce crime"

   Same sense: measure

2. the distance covered by a step

   "he stepped off ten paces from the old tree and began to dig"

   Same sense: pace, stride, footstep

3. the act of changing location by raising the foot and setting it down

   "he walked with unsteady steps"

4. support consisting of a place to rest the foot while ascending or descending a stairway

   "he paused on the bottom step"

   Same sense: stair

5. relative position in a graded series

   "always a step behind"

   Same sense: gradation

6. a short distance

   "it's only a step to the drugstore"

7. the sound of a step of someone walking

   Same sense: footfall, footstep

8. a musical interval of two semitones

   Same sense: whole step, tone, whole tone

9. a mark of a foot or shoe on a surface

   Same sense: footprint, footmark

10. a solid block joined to the beams in which the heel of a ship's mast or capstan is fixed

11. a sequence of foot movements that make up a particular dance

    "he taught them the waltz step"

    Same sense: dance step

Step as a verb

12. shift or move by taking a step

    "step back"

13. put down or press the foot, place the foot

    "step on the brake"

    Same sense: tread

14. cause (a computer) to execute a single command

15. treat badly

    "She is always stepping on others to get ahead"

    Same sense: ill-use, abuse, ill-treat, mistreat, maltreat

16. furnish with steps

    "The architect wants to step the terrace"

17. move with one's feet in a specific manner

    "step lively"

18. walk a short distance to a specified place or in a specified manner

    "step over to the blackboard"

19. place (a ship's mast) in its step

20. measure (distances) by pacing

    "step off ten yards"

    Same sense: pace

21. move or proceed as if by steps into a new situation

    "She stepped into a life of luxury"

Synonyms and antonyms

• measure
• pace
• stride
• footstep
• stair
• gradation
• footfall
• whole step
• tone
• whole tone
• footprint
• footmark
• dance step
• tread
• ill-use
• abuse
• ill-treat
• mistreat
• maltreat

How to say step

Step has 1 syllable and rhymes with yep. Syllable counts and rhymes come from the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary.

Words that rhyme with step

• yep
• rep
• prep
• pep
• doorstep
• hep
• steppe
• strep
• misstep
• sidestep
• overstep
• cep

STEP in word games

Scrabble

6

Words With Friends

7

Anagrams

3

Is STEP a valid Scrabble word? Yes, it is in the ENABLE list most word games use. Check STEP in the word checker, or unscramble STEP to see its 3 anagrams and the shorter words in its letters.