STEP


Meaning of STEP in English

I. noun

COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES

a bold step

The following year he made a bold step to expand his business.

a crucial decision/step

Choosing a career is a crucial decision to make.

a dance step (= a movement in a dance )

Lou was teaching me a few dance steps.

a step of a ladder (= the part you put your foot on )

The can of paint was balanced on one of the steps of the ladder.

decisive action/steps

We will take decisive steps towards political union with Europe.

get/step out of line

Anybody who steps out of line will be in deep trouble.

half step

retrograde step

The closure of the factories is seen as a retrograde step .

step aerobics

step change

The new law marks a step change in our programme for reforming public services.

stepped aside

He stepped aside to let Katherine go in first.

take active steps to do sth

You should take active steps towards reducing stress.

take concrete steps to do sth

The country has to take concrete steps to end the violence.

take punitive steps

The government is expected to take punitive steps against offenders.

take sth a stage/step further

Critics want the government to take this a stage further and ban the film altogether.

Take...step by step

Take each lesson step by step .

Take...step by step

Take each lesson step by step .

tentative steps

The government is taking tentative steps towards tackling the country’s economic problems.

the bottom step

Jenna sat on the bottom step.

took...unprecedented step

He took the unprecedented step of stating that the rumours were false.

uncertain steps

She took a few uncertain steps forward.

COLLOCATIONS FROM CORPUS

■ ADJECTIVE

big

It wasn't a big step from there to Mack the Knife.

Find her, they say, and you take a big step toward finding the elusive Bishop.

A big step up came when the Lord Chancellor took over criminal legal aid from the Home Secretary in 1980.

But it was also a big step on the stairway to the stars.

If that is the case you need to take bigger bites or steps .

It was the first and biggest step in changing the council from a legislative body to a rubber stamp for his administration.

That would be a big step forward.

I admit, marriage is a big step .

front

The old lady's footsteps could be heard, ponderous and threatening, on the front steps .

When the engine turned over, he came quickly down the front steps and climbed in beside them.

Women were talking to each other from the front steps of their homes.

As I walked down the front steps for the last time, a feeling of elation swept over me.

Alice opened the door and set the suitcase on the front steps .

So I Nureyeved the front steps and flowed through the door in a single motion of Yale and Chubb.

If she comes to sit on the front steps , she carries her knitting or mending.

further

It was a further step in their development on the road to possible overall victory at this stadium on Sunday.

We entrust the Ministerial Council with the further steps which may be required to implement them.

If further steps are to be performed a time delay is needed before the next excitation change.

The Treaty of Rome and the subsequent decisions of the member Governments provide for a series of further steps .

The best business development groups take further steps to capture and reuse lessons learned from experience.

They would then have lawmakers decide on further steps to close the coming gap between revenues and expenditures.

important

Marriage is a very important step to take.

Developing Criteria An important step in the development of a quality assurance system is to prepare criteria.

The first important step was to separate the purchasing and providing functions and devolve services such as personnel and finance to units.

The recognition of these players within an organization is an important first step in facilitating innovation.

This is a very important first step .

Legislation could still be a long way off but the proposals are an important first step .

major

The global health scene has been characterised by major steps forward but with some disturbing retrograde features.

And they knew that learning was a way out of the trap, a major step toward self-expression.

Our next major step was to sort out a name.

Franco never took major steps when in doubt.

The process involves three major steps: 1.

It represents one of man's great architectural feats and was technically a major step forward.

But I hope that this election will be a major step toward that ultimate goal.

necessary

Reprocessing is a necessary first step towards recycling nuclear fuel.

Mistakesmissteps-are necessary for actualizing your vision, and necessary steps toward success.

Finally, it is hoped to identify the necessary steps essential for the improvement of growth potential for ethnic minority businesses.

You have to believe you can change before you can take the necessary steps to do so.

Police have to take the necessary steps .

It will not prejudice his claim in any way if he takes all necessary steps to minimise and contain his loss.

It was a necessary survival step for a young person growing up in that area.

positive

She says that it's a positive step .

This of course was all a positive step .

Only a missionary would see this as a positive step in and of itself.

It was a positive step but it was very weak in the way it sought to cover the children.

Firstly, undertaking the research represented one of the only positive steps available to respond to such an increased demand.

And it will allow them to take positive steps to help prevent getting the disease or limit the impact of its complications.

The negative aspects of the United Front were still dominant at the end of 1934 but several positive steps had been taken.

Everywhere, however, positive steps have been taken to deal with it.

reasonable

In one sense this was a reasonable step to take.

short

It is but a short step from this to natural selection and evolution in the laboratory.

He watches four men trying to drag a doorless refrigerator up the short flight of steps into the band shell.

It is a short deductive step to equate the pillar with the goddess Potnia or the Mistress of Animals.

Gait pigeon-like, rather tripping, with short waddling steps .

That the department is wrong can be made clear in three short steps .

Frankie stared towards the shorter flight of steps leading to the landing.

The Pre-emptive Thesis From the dependence and normal justification theses it is but a short step to the pre-emption thesis.

small

From shrinking the aircraft, it was but a small step to shrinking the airline.

One more small step away from control by elected officials and toward a government run by the bureaucracy.

His only strategy is to take small steps and to carry the local vector parallel to itself over each step.

It happened one small step at a time.

The sequence of action can &038; negotiated by helping her see the importance of achieving small steps in the weaning process.

But it was a small step .

An increment is a small step from the existing position.

Whether you choose to take a small step or a large one, each action is important.

tentative

Shortly after the First World War tentative steps towards the implementation of a monopoly policy were being considered.

Around the country, the first tentative steps have been taken toward this new alliance.

Both moves were seen as tentative steps towards opening up the political system.

Then he opened his eyes, spoke a few words and eventually tried a few tentative steps round his hospital room.

There was no need for tentative steps of discovery but nevertheless it was as if this were the very first time.

Hauling it by its ugly leather straps she took a tentative step on the little stony path.

The year ended with the government taking tentative steps to tackle the country's enormous economic problems.

She couldn't quite believe she was taking the first few tentative steps back towards her marriage.

unprecedented

At five past two Franco took the unprecedented step of refusing to serve him any more wine.

The authorities were taken aback, and took the unprecedented step of cordoning off the painting.

In the summer, the two sides took the unprecedented step in the Warsaw Pact of recalling their two ambassadors.

■ NOUN

back

She took a shaky step back , mentally berating herself for continuing to react to him in this inexplicable fashion.

She took a step back and, gasping with pain, stumbled as her ankle gave way beneath her.

She swallowed and took a step back , but the breakfast-bar, immovable and robust, halted her retreat.

Henry took a step back and considered.

With another frown, she took a step back .

When she approached the youth he took a hesitant step back but froze to the spot on seeing Graham's threatening look.

Abruptly the window slid upwards and the car shot forward, forcing the man outside to take a hasty step back .

Julie screamed and took a step back .

stone

With a final gesture she put the key on the sill of the narrow window and pulled herself up the stone steps .

Scared but ignorant, I descended the six stone steps to the street.

He rose and led them both down the stone steps , coming to a halt at the entrance to the vestry door.

As he reached the foot of the bleak stone steps , a single gunman opened fire from the parapet around the stairway.

He knew the feel of every cold stone step on the wide staircase leading down to the main hall.

I started up the cold stone steps to the gallery.

He lurched sideways and fell to his hands and knees on the stone steps .

■ VERB

climb

He hurried ahead, climbed the steps and pushed past twenty pairs of knees.

Mike climbed the steps without speaking, and unloaded his cameras and camera bag on a mat.

There was an urgency in the voice that made Defries and Daak turn and climb the three steps to the weapons platform.

Mark wearily climbed the steps of number 89, and let himself in.

No one from the parade is allowed to climb the steps .

She climbed the rickety steps set into the hillside and got up to the porch of the Katz house.

He climbed off the step stool and went to the faucet on the side of the rectory.

fall

If they should fall down the steps the fence will stop them going on to the road.

Once again, Blue falls into step with Black, perhaps even more harmoniously than before.

The senator fell into step beside me while some of Bonefish's smaller children followed at a safe distance.

Omite falls down the basement steps and breaks her hip.

Stewart falls clumsily down the steps .

One day I fell down the steps there.

She had been descending the stairs when she'd slipped and had fallen down numerous steps .

Staff who went to help her thought she had fallen down steps before first-aiders saw her multiple injuries.

follow

We follow through the six steps enumerated above. 1.

If you have a wide-carriage printer, follow these same steps but skip step 2. 1.

The first column starts at the left margin. Follow these steps to enter the table: 1.

Stumbling a little, she followed him up the steps and across the moonlit terrace into the palazzo.

In general, a proposal goes through the following steps regardless of the type of grant giving organization.

Replace the taps To fit the new mixer tap follow step 2 in reverse.

At that stage, math is simply following steps and watching out for details, her strong suit.

move

The progressive dismantling of regional development policy since 1979 has moved more swiftly than steps aimed at deregulating the housing sector.

A long time ago, when they opposed him, he put out the hand and moved the few steps to them.

Alec moved down two steps and stood.

He moved a step away from her.

The action moves Disney one step closer to final government approval of the transaction.

This, of course, merely moves the debate a step further back, because it implies an understanding of what death is.

Zhang Kou coughed, and Gao Ma silently moved a step closer to Jinju.

retrace

Frankie forgot the eggs and hurriedly retraced his steps .

Ellsworth, who had gone ahead, retraced his steps to shepherd the two through.

In this first article I will retrace my first steps to Rennes-le-Chateau and the beginning of the mystery.

Then we retraced our steps and found a restaurant.

At the bottom end he could go no further, and so retraced his steps .

It is best to retrace your steps for the return journey.

In the soft evening light, I retraced my steps back to town, soothed by the songs of blackbirds and chaffinches.

stand

Baptiste was standing on the bottom step of the wooden staircase, affecting surprise at the sight of her.

His 13 grandchildren stood along the steps .

When people came to the doors they stood on the step talking and looking over at our side of the street.

Léonie stood on the bottom step and clutched the metal handrail.

He pulled the heavy hall-door shut and stood on the steps .

Bright wedding-red flowers in full bloom stood cloistered on the steps .

take

Having acquired a wife, Leslie began to think that he ought to take some steps towards securing our future.

Mix got out of his car, Easterbrook says, took a step and collapsed.

What stops us taking the first step and using it?

Each time I took a step , I sank to the earth and then struggled upright again.

To split up a great State, created by a thousand years of historical development, means taking a big step backwards.

So Ford took concrete steps to get the idea across to one and all.

With another frown, she took a step back.

Now his breakthrough is taking the critical step to commercial application.

walk

Andrew was always with her, walking a few steps out of her reach.

He walked a few steps , looked over his shoulder, and. everyone was picking up a sign.

As I walked down the front steps for the last time, a feeling of elation swept over me.

He walked with long steps , too long, and he had his thumbs hooked in his pockets again.

He would walk up those steps with a confidence he didn't feel, she knew that.

So we all walked the few steps to Wuthering Heights.

Chantel walks down the steps like a girl and saunters over next to him.

watch

Plus, Best foot forward, but watch your step ... aerobics can be a pain.

Some one bumped into him and sharply told him to watch his step .

Inside I was guided down a weird stairway and told at one point to watch my step carefully.

That pain in the back of my neck is four pairs of eyes watching every step I take to the church.

Opposing players really had to watch their step ....

He would have to watch his step on his return.

I would watch my step if I were you.

PHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES

fall into step

Instead he fell into step, and they went on from there.

Once again, Blue falls into step with Black, perhaps even more harmoniously than before.

She walked to the door, trying her hardest to ignore the man who fell into step beside her.

The Clinton administration, after some hesitation, fell into step behind Paris.

The great horse Koulash galloped forward to join the Tsar's horses, and fell into step with them.

The senator fell into step beside me while some of Bonefish's smaller children followed at a safe distance.

They fell into step on the slush-covered path.

false move/step

A false step, a forgotten detail.

And marriage, I should have thought, is a false step you must have been well warned against.

Any false starts or false moves will result in error and the telltale bugs.

Leicester are the sporting equivalent of those brave landmine engineers who operate in areas where one false move can destroy everything.

No regrets, no hesitation; there were no false moves left in me.

One false move in the conduct of the attack will spell certain doom for White.

One false step and we would be down there too.

Risking a false step in the bog, she sped over the path.

retrace your steps/path/route etc

As he retraced his steps of the past day avoiding streets and roads, he stayed alert to the sounds around him.

Ellsworth, who had gone ahead, retraced his steps to shepherd the two through.

Frankie forgot the eggs and hurriedly retraced his steps.

He kept walking; there was little point in making them suspicious by turning round and retracing his steps.

It's an easy walk which can be extended as far as you wish without having to retrace your steps.

It is best to retrace your steps for the return journey.

There are several possible routes to choose - try retracing your steps as far as Suileag.

spring in your step

But suddenly the sight of Giuseppe Signori's invitingly lofted ball into the penalty area put a spring in his step.

He walks away with a high spring in his step.

It read: Bedford, keep the spring in your step.

Kangaroo has not changed our lives, just given us deeper pockets and put a little more spring in our steps.

Preston emerged after the interval with a new spring in their step, and the game took on a different complexion.

The candidates, their staffs and the press have a spring in their steps.

There was a spring in his step, and ineffable calmness dressing his sun-brown face.

There was a new spring in his step, a feeling of youthful zest stirring his muscles.

springy step/walk

step into the breach

At the eleventh hour, Halifax has stepped into the breach .

Mixed, she said, because it had given the theatre the opportunity to invite P.L. O'Hara to step into the breach .

Pawelski would like to step into the breach .

So Mrs Thatcher, demonstrating hitherto unsuspected social graces, decided to step into the breach herself.

Who will step into the breach ?

You are very brave to step into the breach .

step into/fill sb's shoes

She stepped into her shoes , grabbed her clothes, and ran that way.

the naughty step

watch your step

He would have to watch his step on his return.

I had to watch my step.

I would watch my step if I were you.

Inside I was guided down a weird stairway and told at one point to watch my step carefully.

Opposing players really had to watch their step....

Plus, Best foot forward, but watch your step ... aerobics can be a pain.

Some one bumped into him and sharply told him to watch his step.

The sign outside may say Céad Míle Faíte, but inside you watch your step.

EXAMPLES FROM OTHER ENTRIES

a beginners' step class

Baker said his next step will be to demand a new trial.

Completing your degree would move you up a step on the salary scale.

Ellen ran up the steps and banged on the door.

Her first big step towards a career in movies was her move to Hollywood.

I can't remember all the steps.

I was so breathless, I could only manage a few steps.

Identifying the cause of a disease must always be the first step towards finding a cure.

Marge could hear a man's steps in the hall.

Nelson was no more than four or five steps away.

Now that we've identified the problem, what's the next step ?

Of course, starting the job-search is always a big step .

Re-thinking our management techniques would be an important step in the right direction.

Sal quickened his steps toward the hotel.

She walked briskly, with quick, short steps.

The discovery of penicillin was a gigantic step in the treatment of infections.

The doctors say I'll make a full recovery, but I'm going to have to take it one step at a time.

The first step towards achieving peace in the region will be to elect a government that represents all the people.

The new law on drunk driving is being seen as a major step forward.

The next step will be to make the pasta sauce.

EXAMPLES FROM CORPUS

Continue for as long as possible and record the number of steps.

Have visual and verbal behaviours out of step with each other.

He took a quick step backward.

I would watch my step if I were you.

Louie wailed, bolting off the steps into his house.

The thieves slipped the Torah scroll from the case and left the metal decoration on steps near the synagogue.

Tom and Marge caught the gondola from the church steps to San Marco, and walked from there to the Gritti.

When he came up the steps on to the terrace, most of his child followers had fallen away.

II. verb

COLLOCATIONS FROM CORPUS

■ ADVERB

ahead

But his dark rimmed glasses and old fashioned looks belie a career spent one step ahead .

I scrambled to learn more and managed to keep a half step ahead of humiliation.

This is stepping ahead to the next consideration of the Lady of the Hearth as she who lights and tends the fire.

It was a constant struggle to stay one step ahead of thrift regulators in Washington.

The Vadinamians are usually step ahead .

And thus begins a chase, with the Rat almost always being one step ahead .

The opportunist, it turned out, was one step ahead of me.

aside

Wallas Ward stepped aside with mock-deference.

Except that Esther Kim stepped aside in the finals at the U.S.

He stepped aside and the auburn-haired girl strode forward into the empty road carrying the roses loosely in her arm.

I stepped aside from the other parents in case he wanted some help, but he barely gave me a glance.

He stepped aside to let some one through.

The modem world from which I had briefly stepped aside seemed to come crowding in again.

Finally the guard steps aside and motions him through the turnstile.

away

Connors stepped away and smiled pleasantly.

Take one step away from those laws and you become a lecher, a libertine, an assassin.

She told herself to step away , but her legs refused to move.

Having won so many times, he places no stigma on stepping away , regrouping, aiming for another race.

Jim said, wrapping up his remarks and stepping away from the lectern.

She watched, numbly, as Matilda lowered her arm and stepped away .

back

The man stepped back into the centre of the circle, and seemed almost to go to sleep.

A more sophisticated analysis drives them to step back and ask whether success on these terms is worth it.

He stepped back at once, and the sweat of fear was upon his pale face.

I stepped back , watching the spot in the dirt where I would fall.

Creed stepped back in fright - or tried to.

Ezra stepped back , eyeing the wheel which shifted just a little left and right, commanding it to be still.

Once the macabre masque was over, Ranulf stepped back .

Simon and Tony stepped back against the wall to avoid injury.

backwards

The figure stepped backwards into the darkness.

Startled, Bunny stepped backwards , dragging Meredith with him.

Oh, the disgusted look on women's faces as they step backwards through a doorway, out of the rain.

Anne stepped backwards , the train rocking under her feet, making her unsteady.

Time is like stepping backwards you said tonight, the future's always dark.

To step backwards into the limbo of the last five years.

We step backwards towards the car.

closer

Probably, the presence of a mutant gene just brings an individual one step closer to the possibility of cancer.

He stepped closer to the table for a look at his ancestors.

Another one down, another step closer to the tournament.

He stepped closer , unsmiling, slowly slid strong hands on her waist.

He stepped closer to John Russell's roan horse and I remember the first thing he said.

She shrugged off the dressing gown and stepped closer to Patrick.

He stepped closer , closed the gap between their bodies.

down

John's appeal enabled Khrushchev to step down without losing face.

There was no breathing going on in this house and Mavis stepped down completely and looked expectantly at the clock.

Impressed by Chandrika's brilliant campaigning, Mrs Bandaranaike stepped down as party leader before the 1994 parliamentary elections.

He stepped down to a dirt floor two feet below the threshold.

She succeeds Caroline Marland, who is stepping down after 24 years with the company.

Since Kmart is no longer an OfficeMax shareholder, he stepped down , OfficeMax said.

Wycliffe stepped down into the little hall and pushed open the door of the shop itself.

Club coach Allen Foster stepped down last week.

first

Finding or remembering an evocative scent is a good first step .

That is the necessary first step .

forward

Urquhart stepped forward out of the blackness, his profile framed by the window.

Tampa Bay long ago discarded playoff talk, but the Bucs are restless to step forward .

Discussions are under way over bringing this second step forward to 2000.

Then, Hoppy stepped forward with a handshake and a hug for the honoree.

He stepped forward and advanced slowly up the ramp, still singing in that voice which shook the rafters.

Karen was tapped for the Address, stepped forward , and said it perfectly.

Isaac stepped forward to stand beside Alan, and began to speak.

But some critics already have stepped forward to question whether Lake is up to the task.

in

Forrester, Tinkler, Whelan, Kelly, Sharp all seem ready to step in when other players are off-form.

Brad Gillis of Night Ranger stepped in to finish the tour.

The thaw came yesterday afternoon when Dalglish's right hand man Ray Harford stepped in .

The door was locked behind them as soon as they stepped in .

The door creaked open and Berger stepped in , Eggar at his back.

It fouled up the airline for five days until President Clinton stepped in .

That's why large companies often fall and small companies step in .

But there was no health insurance agency in town, so no one stepped in to meet that need.

inside

Step inside , however, and you enter a technological time warp.

He pulled the doors back, stepped inside , swung the flashlight across the dirt floor.

The lock clicked as they approached, and they stepped inside .

Creed stepped inside and closed both doors again, feeling as if he'd just voluntarily shut himself up in a cell.

We take a couple of steps inside .

There was no one around in the hall to see me as I stepped inside .

After a second she nudged the screen door open and stepped inside .

off

Anyone not on a sheet of paper or who steps off , drops out of the game.

Neither dares step off the treadmill while it can afford to stay in the race.

They stepped off the pavement outside and crossed over to another group of shops that curved around the square.

Within an hour of stepping off the plane I was meeting with top people at the Economic Development Board.

Burun stepped off the back of his st'lyan into the cart.

The minute we step off the plane, we see Mami has not exaggerated.

As he stepped off the pavement to cross the side street, he felt as if he were stepping off a cliff.

Guests step off the elevator into dimly lit halls, a dubious signature of Starckdesigned hotels.

on

The trick was to turn off the instant you stepped on to the catwalk.

Nathan watched him step on to a crate.

She stepped on the emergency brake and got out to help Paul get his suitcase in the trunk.

So he steps on for another mouthful; and this time doesn't jump back.

New Hampshire health authorities stepped on , demanding to know where the girl was.

The moment they stepped on to the moor itself their feet sank almost to the ankle.

Entering the final lap, Boulmerka was bumped and stepped on by two runners, then bumped again from behind by another.

out

Quickly, Mayli stepped out from the trolley.

Returning to the side door, he stood just inside it for a while and then stepped out to the sidewalk.

The sharp night air made them step out .

She wrapped it round herself, like a sarong, under her arms, and stepped out of the water.

Jarvis stepped out on to the stoop.

Fortunately the pair were off to different events when they stepped out in the identical £420 jackets.

It swung open easily into the vacuum, and he stepped out into the now silent centrifuge.

outside

It came as a shock to discover, when she stepped outside , that it was dark.

They had to step outside and corral six other men to help before they could position it tastefully in the showroom.

For days, every time you step outside , you can still smell the smoke from this fire.

The sky was almost black when he and Tom stepped outside .

But let him not step outside in the darkness!

After some time she stepped outside .

After opening the door for them, he stepped outside under the awning and watched them depart.

over

In the event she had to step over one of its feet.

We step over gnarled roots, and the wet grasses brush against us as we walk.

They are stepping over the invisible, moralistic Maginot Line of the old culture of opposition.

Claudia, standing by the window, looking down at the street, knew the moment he stepped over the threshold.

Liz stepped over the bottom stair, which always creaked.

She stepped over to the third sink and started to scrub up.

There was not a man present who had not stepped over bodies of rivals to claw his way to his present position.

A man lies on the sidewalk outside Tiffany's, passers-by just stepping over him.

right

She stepped right in my face.

I stepped right up and gestured in the rain; they consulted.

But this day he was all action, stepping right up to Nick and thumping him hard.

up

The sampling rate has been stepped up to 100 samples per second in real time.

But I really believe everybody is going to step up .

Efforts to crush the trade have been stepped up recently.

As black participation in the economy increased, the level of repression to enforce apartheid was stepped up .

Alternatively, you could step up the exotic look and imitate the Maquis.

Special teams has to step up .

The hospital's now stepping up its own security measures.

Nervous, I stepped up to judgment.

■ NOUN

breach

Who will step into the breach ?

Pawelski would like to step into the breach .

So Mrs Thatcher, demonstrating hitherto unsuspected social graces, decided to step into the breach herself.

Mixed, she said, because it had given the theatre the opportunity to invite P.L. O'Hara to step into the breach .

You are very brave to step into the breach .

At the eleventh hour, Halifax has stepped into the breach .

campaign

He says his next move is to set up an action committee to step up his campaign .

After speaking on the Senate floor in the morning, he stepped on the chartered campaign plane in a dark suit.

We'd both been inspired by Frank's release to step up our fitness campaign .

Than Tun stepped up the propaganda campaign to end military government.

In the past two weeks the administration has stepped up its campaign to encourage voluntary service.

car

Shakily Ruth stepped out of the car , reaching for her raffia shoulder-bag in the back seat.

The Feldwebel stepped out of the car and opened the door for me.

Another pulled into her driveway and was bitten when she stepped out of the car .

A cordon of stagehands appeared from nowhere and surrounded me as I stepped out of the car .

She nodded, stepped out of the car .

As Jenna stepped out of the car there was only silence and she frowned at her own stupidity.

I step out of the car and draw myself up slowly to height.

door

He pulled the doors back, stepped inside, swung the flashlight across the dirt floor.

The blond young man from the back door stepped into the living room; his nose was running grossly and copiously.

Jenny smacked the release button sharply, opened the door and stepped out.

The door opens and in steps a huge man-the harpooner.

She pushed the door open wider and stepped in from the porch.

Mr Johnson opened the door and stepped out.

effort

In the meantime, we have to step up our efforts to find this damn ship.

Another winter like this one and there might be a need for stepped up water-conservation efforts , he said.

Alton stepped up their efforts and a determined run from the back by Miller set up a series of corners.

By stepping up anti-fraud efforts , the administration hopes to save $ 3 billion over five years.

gas

According to his lawyer, Brooks claims he heard some one utter the N-word, so he stepped on the gas .

A car honked behind him, and Miguel gratefully stepped on the gas .

Miguel stepped on the gas , roaring past all of them with a gust of dirt.

Then he stepped on the gas and sped away from him.

He stepped on the gas suddenly.

Miguel stepped on the gas and grinned.

gear

But United stepped up a gear and regained the lead four minutes later.

Coleraine, out of touch in midfield, stepped up a gear and created several good chances.

The Melrose pack were able to step up a gear when they wanted, especially with Gala's entire front row absent.

The visitors heeded the warning and stepped up a gear .

line

She has never stepped out of line .

He just felt it was easier to step across the state line and have people groveling at your doorstep.

It is dangerous to be too conspicuously successful, or to step out of line .

Clearly state what you want and make it worthwhile not to step over the line of intolerable behavior.

If you step out of line once more you're fired.

He's not going to step out of line unnecessarily.

Others step over the line and physically batter their children.

We are not engaged in proving the universe to be nomic, or defying it to step out of line .

moment

The moment they stepped on to the moor itself their feet sank almost to the ankle.

It rains nonstop from the moment I step off the plane.

One way to instil confidence is to start with a positive attitude and this starts the moment you step up to the ball.

Claudia, standing by the window, looking down at the street, knew the moment he stepped over the threshold.

Louise saw him miss the beat, and she seized the moment , stepping forward.

The moment they step out of the mystery they become ordinary.

The moment Joseph stepped through the doorway he began coughing uncontrollably.

pressure

When Manly-Warringah dropped out of the chase, St George stepped up the pressure and have never really let off.

Rather, they said, it was the imminent death of the hunger strikers that stepped up the political pressure this week.

United began to step up their pressure and took the lead after 30 minutes when Sharpe celebrated his recall in fine style.

In almost identical terms, constituency parties in the province and Britain have stepped up the pressure for a decisive Government move.

road

We step off the main road , down two steps and into one of two rooms which constitute home.

He stepped back on to the road and turned off his flashlight.

The man didn't give way, and Erlich stepped into the road to let him pass.

Just as his father stepped into the road , a car turned the corner.

Now is the time for tonics to help us forget the pain and step out on the road to recovery.

What about the greater steps on the evolutionary road ?

Keeping her distance, she had stepped into the road and watched in dismay until Ixora had turned the corner.

He stepped out into the road and waved his arms.

room

It was like stepping from a lit room into illimitable, unknowable night.

He looked as if he had just stepped out of a drawing room in the shires.

Then he stepped out of the room , turning off his box.

He paused for a moment, checking the hall and stairs before stepping into the room and closing the door behind him.

Then his grandmother steps into the treatment room .

I left my slippers outside and stepped into a dim room where Gandhi lay on a pallet on the earthen floor.

shoe

She stepped into her shoes , grabbed her clothes, and ran that way.

There are the chronically shod who would only dream of stepping out of their shoes in the shower or in bed.

Their wives, hand in hand, stepping carefully in expensive shoes over the summer's jetsam, brought up the rear.

Caroline stepped from her shoes , then from her dress as she made her way across the room.

Perhaps it is the beauty of the surroundings, the tradition of stepping in the shoes of countless generations of faithful people.

■ VERB

ask

But later he told a Melbourne radio station that he would demand an explanation if he were asked to step down.

I was asked to step outside while my fate was decided.

Joost asked me to step forward, remove my jacket and bend over.

The federal lawsuit asks a judge to step in and halt the project until the environmental issues are sorted out.

You should come with your cap in your hand and ask leave before you step in here.

Mr Klesch is thus being asked to step in as the disinterested negotiator.

However, I do not want to offend my local church organist by asking her to step down.

I never asked you to step in back there.

open

I gave the woman a nod, and when the doors opened Janir and I stepped out on to the concrete platform.

Shrugging, she moved to the Doctor's door, and pushed it open , stepping lightly inside.

The door opens and in steps a huge man-the harpooner.

Mr Johnson opened the door and stepped out.

Willie opened the door and stepped in.

Suddenly the door opened and Clarisa stepped out.

PHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES

false move/step

A false step, a forgotten detail.

And marriage, I should have thought, is a false step you must have been well warned against.

Any false starts or false moves will result in error and the telltale bugs.

Leicester are the sporting equivalent of those brave landmine engineers who operate in areas where one false move can destroy everything.

No regrets, no hesitation; there were no false moves left in me.

One false move in the conduct of the attack will spell certain doom for White.

One false step and we would be down there too.

Risking a false step in the bog, she sped over the path.

spring in your step

But suddenly the sight of Giuseppe Signori's invitingly lofted ball into the penalty area put a spring in his step.

He walks away with a high spring in his step.

It read: Bedford, keep the spring in your step.

Kangaroo has not changed our lives, just given us deeper pockets and put a little more spring in our steps.

Preston emerged after the interval with a new spring in their step, and the game took on a different complexion.

The candidates, their staffs and the press have a spring in their steps.

There was a spring in his step, and ineffable calmness dressing his sun-brown face.

There was a new spring in his step, a feeling of youthful zest stirring his muscles.

springy step/walk

step into the breach

At the eleventh hour, Halifax has stepped into the breach .

Mixed, she said, because it had given the theatre the opportunity to invite P.L. O'Hara to step into the breach .

Pawelski would like to step into the breach .

So Mrs Thatcher, demonstrating hitherto unsuspected social graces, decided to step into the breach herself.

Who will step into the breach ?

You are very brave to step into the breach .

step into/fill sb's shoes

She stepped into her shoes , grabbed her clothes, and ran that way.

stepping stones

the naughty step

EXAMPLES FROM CORPUS

After a few minutes, he stepped back from her.

And it left open the fourth option, to step up military action against Hanoi and otherwise escalate the war.

By stepping up a grade, the bond will be more valuable in the market.

Fortunately the pair were off to different events when they stepped out in the identical £420 jackets.

He stepped out of cover and walked up to her.

He had also stepped on a mine.

She stepped over to the third sink and started to scrub up.

They had not gone far, when they had stepped into a small clearing.

Longman DOCE5 Extras English vocabulary.      Дополнительный английский словарь Longman DOCE5.