step out

verb

stepped out; stepping out; steps out

intransitive verb

1
: to go away from a place usually for a short distance and for a short time
2
: to go or march at a vigorous or increased pace
3
: die
4
: to lead an active social life
5
: to be unfaithful
usually used with on
had been stepping out on his wife

Examples of step out in a Sentence

if she catches him stepping out on her, she'll divorce him without a moment's hesitation my greedy relatives are only being nice to me because they expect me to step out any time now
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
On April 23, the 32-year-old pop star stepped out in New York City wearing a quintessentially New York 'fit, complete with a black turtleneck maxi dress, patent leather pumps, and a pair of oversized black sunglasses. Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 24 Apr. 2025 On April 23, the Duchess of Sussex, 43, stepped out at the TIME100 Summit in New York, taking her back to N.Y.C. for the second time in two months. Janine Henni, People.com, 23 Apr. 2025 His first came on June 15, 2024, when Kate stepped out in public for the first time since her health problems at Trooping the Colour, King Charles III's annual birthday parade. Ross Rosenfeld, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 Apr. 2025 Right after taping the April 21 episode, the judges stepped out of the sound stage to give USA TODAY insight into what those precious few minutes of negotiation were like. Kimi Robinson, USA Today, 23 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for step out

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1533, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of step out was circa 1533

Cite this Entry

“Step out.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/step%20out. Accessed 28 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

step out

verb
: to go away from a place usually for a short distance and for a short time
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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