Meaning & use
stepping-stone
Last updated
Meanings
nouncountable
An event or experience that helps you progress toward a larger goal.
Grammar: Countable; often used in the phrase 'a stepping-stone to something'.
Patterns
- a stepping-stone to something
- use something as a stepping-stone
Her first job was a stepping-stone to a career in journalism.
He saw the internship as a stepping-stone to a permanent position.
nouncountable
A large stone placed in water or mud to help people cross without getting wet.
Grammar: Usually plural when referring to a series of stones across a stream.
Patterns
- cross on stepping-stones
- a row of stepping-stones
We crossed the stream on stepping-stones.
The garden path was made of flat stepping-stones.
Word forms
| plural | stepping-stones |
|---|
Common combinations
- a stepping-stone to success
- The award was a stepping-stone to success for the young actor.
- use something as a stepping-stone
- She used the temporary job as a stepping-stone to a better role.
- a valuable stepping-stone
- Volunteering abroad can be a valuable stepping-stone for your career.
Synonyms and how they differ
- springboard
- Suggests a sudden launch into something bigger, while stepping-stone implies gradual progress.
- means to an end
- Focuses on the purpose rather than the gradual progress.
Word family
Commonly confused: stepping-stone or stepping stone?
stepping-stone vs stepping stone
Often written as two words, but the hyphenated form is standard.
Practice
Many people treat a first job as a ______ to a better career.
Choose one answer.
'Stepping-stone' means something that helps you advance. 'Sticking point' is a problem that stops progress, and 'stumbling block' is an obstacle.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “stepping-stone”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.