steppingstone
Americannoun
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a stone, or one of a line of stones, in shallow water, a marshy place, or the like, that is stepped on in crossing.
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a stone for use in mounting or ascending.
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any means or stage of advancement or improvement.
She looked on the governorship as a steppingstone to the presidency.
Etymology
Origin of steppingstone
Middle English word dating back to 1275–1325
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Officials at DHS said they believe the pair see DHS as a steppingstone to an even bigger perch.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 13, 2026
“California is not a steppingstone to higher office.”
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 10, 2025
Three years later, he became mayor of San Salvador, a post considered a steppingstone to the presidency.
From New York Times • Feb. 4, 2024
Based on the bacteria's genome sequence, they suspected zeaxanthin is a steppingstone to that less valuable carotenoid in the process that cells use to make complex molecules.
From Science Daily • Dec. 21, 2023
I uncovered a single steppingstone, slightly worn, that led nowhere, yet lay as a subtle ap-pendage to the small rock garden.
From "Farewell to Manzanar" by Jeanne Houston
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
