step-in

[ step-in ]

/ ˈstɛpˌɪn /

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adjective

(of garments, shoes, etc.) put on by being stepped into.

noun

step-ins, panties, especially bias-cut panties with wide legs worn by women in the 1920s and 1930s.

any step-in garment.

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His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of step-in

First recorded in 1920–25; adj., noun use of verb phrase step in

Words nearby step-in

Stephen V, Stephen VI, Stephen VII, Stephen VIII, Stephenville, step-in, step into, step into someone's shoes, stepladder, stepmother, Stepney

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use step-in in a sentence

This is a guy who has his son-in-law clean his eyeglasses, for crying out loud.
Will Chris Christie Regret His Cowboy Hug?|Matt Lewis|January 5, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Her travel clique has been known to arrive at an airport, bags packed, passport-in-hand, within hours of spotting a deal.
‘We Out Here’: Inside the New Black Travel Movement|Charlise Ferguson|January 4, 2015|DAILY BEAST
But Brooke was out of step with the New Left and its notion of radical chic.
Ed Brooke: The Senate's Civil Rights Pioneer and Prophet of a Post-Racial America|John Avlon|January 4, 2015|DAILY BEAST
In the 21st century women are earning their equality every step of the way… including the bedroom.
Career-Minded Women Turn to Male Escorts For No-Strings Fun and (Maybe) Sex|Aurora Snow|January 3, 2015|DAILY BEAST

Earl Spencer adds, “Effectively, my great-grandfather sold his children to his father-in-law.”
The Real-Life ‘Downton’ Millionairesses Who Changed Britain|Tim Teeman|December 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The bride elect rushes up to him, and so they both step down to the foot-lights.
Physiology of The Opera|John H. Swaby (AKA "Scrici")
But, when the car came thundering down, it was crammed to the step; with a melancholy gesture, the driver declined her signal.
Hilda Lessways|Arnold Bennett
Sol got up, slowly; took a backward step into the yard; filled his lungs, opened his mouth, made his eyes round.
The Bondboy|George W. (George Washington) Ogden
She was growing a little stout, but it did not seem to detract an iota from the grace of every step, pose, gesture.
The Awakening and Selected Short Stories|Kate Chopin
The sound of my step shall make your heart jump; a look from me shall make you dumb for an hour.
Checkmate|Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu

British Dictionary definitions for step-in

step in

verb

(intr, adverb) informal to intervene or involve oneself, esp dramatically or at a senior level

adjective step-in

(prenominal) (of garments, etc) put on by being stepped into; without fastenings

(of a ski binding) engaging automatically when the boot is positioned on the ski

noun step-in

(often plural) a step-in garment, esp underwear

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Idioms and Phrases with step-in