steppingstone
a stone, or one of a line of stones, in shallow water, a marshy place, or the like, that is stepped on in crossing.
a stone for use in mounting or ascending.
any means or stage of advancement or improvement: She looked on the governorship as a steppingstone to the presidency.
Origin of steppingstone
1Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use steppingstone in a sentence
But the deputy speakership was just a stepping-stone to the top job for al-Abadi.
Exclusive: Inside Obama's Push for Regime Change in Iraq | Eli Lake | August 11, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTI remember that being a stepping-stone for me when it comes to why he gets so aggravated.
Adam Driver on Role-Play Sex with Lena Dunham on ‘Girls’ and Adam’s Stormy Relationship with Hannah | Marlow Stern | March 10, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTYet there is something unique about this kind of development that skips traditional stepping stone technologies.
To See the Progress in Afghanistan, Stop Viewing the Country Through a Western Lens | Sam Schneider | February 11, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTIt is also a stepping stone to the Supreme Court, the place where potential justices are groomed and observed.
Capitol Hill Showdown Over Obama’s Judicial Nominees Comes to a Head | Eleanor Clift | March 6, 2013 | THE DAILY BEASTYou certainly don't do this as a stepping stone to run for president.
He would use the thousand pounds as a stepping-stone to legitimate fortune.
The Joyous Adventures of Aristide Pujol | William J. LockeBut, important as this situation is, it is yet only to be considered a stepping-stone to further advancement.
A Charming Fellow, Volume II (of 3) | Frances Eleanor TrollopePeering into the gloom, the youth saw the top of the next rock which was used as a stepping-stone by other visitors.
Two Boys in Wyoming | Edward S. EllisLike many pioneers, it did not achieve practical success itself, but it supplied a stepping stone to further progress.
Invention | Bradley A. FiskeMarazion is a pleasant little place, but of course its chief interest is as the stepping-stone to St. Michael's Mount.
The Cornwall Coast | Arthur L. Salmon
British Dictionary definitions for stepping stone
one of a series of stones acting as footrests for crossing streams, marshes, etc
a circumstance that assists progress towards some goal
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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