step out

British  

verb

1. to go outside or leave a room, building, etc, esp briefly

2. to begin to walk more quickly and take longer strides

3. informal to withdraw from involvement; bow out

4. informal to be a boyfriend or girlfriend (of someone), esp publicly

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step out Idioms  

1. Walk briskly, as in He stepped out in time to the music . [c. 1800]

2. Also, step outside . Go outside briefly, as in He just stepped out for a cigarette . [First half of 1500s]

3. Go out for an evening of entertainment, as in They're stepping out again tonight .

4. 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]

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Example Sentences

This is an in-person appointment, so you walk from the nearest metro station, or step out of the ride share, or park your car.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 16, 2026

As I step out into this next phase of life, I do sometimes find myself missing the chaos of Hanoi or the wide-open spaces of the Australian outback.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 22, 2026

Women also step out of the workforce in greater numbers than men for child-rearing and eldercare, often right around that crucial age of 35 when men’s cumulative earnings go up and women’s go down.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 6, 2026

In his seven-figure Olympian existence, we can step out of our solitary pining into an enviable characterization, one that is seldom offered to characters that look and love like us.

From Salon • Feb. 13, 2026

I step out of the closet just as there’s a knock on my bedroom door.

From "Odd One Out" by Nic Stone

Related Words

• bask
• rejoice