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.
Whether QMM proves to be the final word or a stepping stone, it opens a startling possibility: the universe may not only be geometry and energy.
From Science Daily • Jun. 18, 2026
Fernandinho, Douglas Costa, Willian and Fred are just a few who used Shakhtar as a stepping stone to Europe's elite.
From BBC • Apr. 30, 2026
It is just a stepping stone to the real end of the race.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 20, 2026
For now, Cole just wants to repay the faith rather than see Cesena as a stepping stone to home.
From BBC • Apr. 16, 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.
