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.
The former second-round pick is suddenly one of the Lakers’ primary summer league players and hopes to use the experience as an important stepping stone, building up his game while also establishing a leadership voice.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 5, 2026
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
This is echoed on Ashton High Street by Lewis Ash, who tells me: "I don't want it to be a stepping stone for Andy Burnham."
From BBC ● Jun. 11, 2026
"Since the election of former President Lee Myung-bak, who was a highly visible Seoul mayor, the position has been widely considered a major stepping stone for future presidential hopefuls," he told AFP.
From Barron's ● Jun. 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.
