footstep
Americannoun
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footsteps
plural
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the setting down of a foot, or the sound so produced; footfall; tread.
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the distance covered by a step in walking; pace.
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a footprint.
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a step by which to ascend or descend.
idioms
noun
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the action of taking a step in walking
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the sound made by stepping or walking
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the distance covered with a step; pace
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a footmark
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a single stair; step
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to continue the tradition or example of another
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of footstep
First recorded in 1175–1225, footstep is from Middle English foote steppe. See foot, step
Vocabulary lists containing footstep
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.
See Examples For:
"You see every single footstep," says Clemens Pohl, chief executive, as he points to a chart revealing disturbances in the fibre optic signal.
From BBC ● Mar. 17, 2025
The duo went 1-2 in the 200, with Coleman beating his older teammate for the first time, edging him by a footstep, 21.01 to 21.27.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 7, 2023
The walls heave with weird, “Repulsion”-like plaster bulges; the pipes clang; the upstairs neighbor — is there an upstairs neighbor? — treads so heavily that the light fixture sways with every footstep.
From Washington Post ● Nov. 22, 2021
Each footstep on the spongy ground seems to release fumes of decay into already fetid air.
From Seattle Times ● Sep. 26, 2021
Every careful footstep echoed loudly off the shadowy walls.
From "Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets" by J. K. Rowling
Apple investors almost certainly are far better off for it — and Cook’s successor, John Ternus, would do well to follow in his footsteps.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 2, 2026
"Never come here, you'll only suffer," he warned those who might follow in his footsteps.
From Barron's ● Aug. 1, 2026
He was following in the footsteps of not only his half-brother Flynn, but also his dad Ciarán McDonald, who represented the county in three All-Ireland finals.
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
Born Jan. 6, 1958, in New York, Bryce followed in the footsteps of his actor parents.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 14, 2026
Akiko opened her mouth to speak, but then came the sound of scampering footsteps, and a young girl popped on-screen and climbed into Leo’s lap.
From "The Wild Robot Protects" by Peter Brown
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.
