step out
Britishverb
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to go outside or leave a room, building, etc, esp briefly
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to begin to walk more quickly and take longer strides
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informal to withdraw from involvement; bow out
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informal to be a boyfriend or girlfriend (of someone), esp publicly
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Walk briskly, as in He stepped out in time to the music . [c. 1800]
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Also, step outside . Go outside briefly, as in He just stepped out for a cigarette . [First half of 1500s]
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Go out for an evening of entertainment, as in They're stepping out again tonight .
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step out with . Accompany or consort with a person as when going on a date, as in She's been stepping out with him for a month . [ Colloquial ; early 1900s]
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.
Hopefully when his right arm tightens up, he’ll step out of the box.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026
“When you step out of the workforce, you’re not getting that 3% to 5% raise, and you’re not able to climb the corporate ladder,” says MAI Capital Management senior wealth adviser Megan Miller.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 8, 2026
Might Carse have been less inclined to step out of line had the new sheriff been in town?
From BBC ● Aug. 23, 2026
Seeking to reassure his employees in September 2021, Xu told staff in a letter he believed the group would "step out of the darkest moment soon".
From Barron's ● Aug. 20, 2026
As I’m about to step out into the courtyard, Mima asks, “Did you scratch the oud? Didn’t I tell you to be careful with it?”
From "Across So Many Seas" by Ruth Behar
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
