stepping stone
Britishnoun
-
one of a series of stones acting as footrests for crossing streams, marshes, etc
-
a circumstance that assists progress towards some goal
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.
It is just a stepping stone to the real end of the race.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 20, 2026
Hours later, Pakistan's government said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had met Vance, expressing hope the talks would serve as "a stepping stone toward durable peace in the region".
From Barron's • Apr. 11, 2026
"Commending the commitment of both delegations to engage constructively, the Prime Minister expressed the hope that these talks would serve as a stepping stone toward durable peace in the region," Sharif's office said.
From Barron's • Apr. 11, 2026
He was once phenomenal but he's now a stepping stone for younger fighters and a shell of the fighter he once was.
From BBC • Apr. 4, 2026
But that was itself a mere stepping stone to greater things.
From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik
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.
