baby step

noun

: a very small step or advance in progress
These companies can create products that take a real leap forward, rather than the traditional baby steps that larger companies with greater commitments must make.Home Theater
baby-step verb, transitive + intransitive
baby-stepped; baby-stepping
… after the 2-1 victory that baby-stepped the sixth-place Rangers within four points of the first-place Devils … Larry Brooks
"This is murder," John Chaney had said in that ever-raspy voice as he baby-stepped toward the court Thursday night. "My feet are killing me." Tom Archdeacon

Examples of baby step in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
But officials in India said that New Delhi would still be cautious and is ready to only take baby steps towards boosting economic ties with Beijing, given the trust deficit of the last four years. Fox News, 25 Oct. 2024 Meanwhile, the Fed is about to take its first baby step, a 25 or perhaps 50 basis point rate reduction, toward easing its historically restrictive monetary policy. Robert Barone, Forbes, 13 Sep. 2024 But while CalPERS takes baby steps in the right direction, this incrementalism can’t outrun the fires and floods. Ruth Holton-Hodson, The Mercury News, 2 May 2024 Take baby steps with a short text or email that doesn’t require an immediate reply, and then follow up with an easy meetup suggestion — something brief and convenient. Rolling Stone Culture Council, Rolling Stone, 18 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for baby step 

Word History

First Known Use

1825, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of baby step was in 1825

Dictionary Entries Near baby step

Cite this Entry

“Baby step.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/baby%20step. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!