Thesaurus.com
Dictionary.com
Showing results for stepping-stone. Search instead for stephensons.
Definitions

stepping-stone

NOUN
instrumentation
Synonyms
STRONGEST
apparatus instrument
STRONG
agency agent aid auspices avenue channel course dodge equipment expedient factor fashion gimmick instrumentality intermediary machinery manner measure mechanism medium ministry mode organ organization paraphernalia path power process road route step system tactic technique trick vehicle
WEAK
modus operandi ways and means
Antonyms
STRONG
blockage disorganization ignorance
NOUN
means
Synonyms
STRONGEST
aid channel equipment factor instrument measure mechanism medium mode power process route step system tactic technique vehicle
STRONG
agency agent apparatus auspices avenue course dodge expedient fashion gimmick instrumentality instrumentation intermediary machinery manner ministry organ organization paraphernalia path road trick
WEAK
modus operandi ways and means
Antonyms
STRONGEST
end
WEAK
paucity poorness shame

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.

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

"It's a stepping stone to Mars, where we might have the most likelihood of finding evidence of past life, but it's also a Rosetta Stone for how other solar systems form."

From Barron's • Apr. 1, 2026

And this is another stepping stone, to get to finally act on screen together.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 26, 2026

This is a stepping stone to the building of a multi-sided marketplace, the note says.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 11, 2026

That’s when I notice a crate, a stepping stone to the top of the wall.

From "Muffled" by Jennifer Gennari