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

And so he steps out of line to test his theory.

From Los Angeles Times

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

I got slowly into my clothes and stepped out onto the landing.

From Literature

Then we stepped out into the moonlit farmyard to fetch Marlene from the barn, the snow crisp and crunching under our feet.

From Literature

Zendaya memorably teased her engagement to the British actor at the 2025 Golden Globes, when she stepped out on the red carpet with a ring on that finger.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• bask
• rejoice