Meaning & use
baby steps
Last updated
Meaning
phraseplural
small, gradual actions that lead to progress
Grammar: Used as a plural noun phrase; often followed by 'toward' or 'to' and a goal.
Patterns
- take baby steps
- baby steps toward something
- baby steps to something
After the injury, she took baby steps to regain her strength.
The company is making baby steps toward reducing its carbon footprint.
Learning a language is all about taking baby steps every day.
Common combinations
- take baby steps
- He decided to take baby steps and save a little money each week.
- make baby steps
- The team is making baby steps in improving customer service.
- baby steps toward
- They are taking baby steps toward a peace agreement.
- baby steps to
- The government is taking baby steps to reform the tax system.
Synonyms and how they differ
- small steps
- More literal and neutral; it can refer to actual short steps or to gradual progress, while 'baby steps' often emphasizes caution and slowness.
- incremental progress
- More formal and focuses on the result rather than the actions; 'baby steps' is informal and suggests a method.
Opposites
Commonly confused: baby steps or baby step?
baby steps vs baby step
The singular form is rare and usually refers to a literal small step of a baby; the idiom is almost always plural.
Practice
The peace talks are moving forward in ______, with small agreements reached each day.
Choose one answer.
The idiom is a fixed plural phrase 'baby steps', meaning gradual progress. 'A baby step' is not used in this idiomatic sense, and the other forms are incorrect.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “baby steps”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.