# step on

CEFR A2 · Phrasal verb

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/step-on
Updated: 2026-10-23

## Definition

to place your foot on top of something or someone.

For teachers: to place one's foot on a surface or object, often unintentionally. Transitive and inseparable; the object must follow the particle.

## Examples

- Be careful not to step on the broken glass.
- He accidentally stepped on his cat's tail in the dark and felt terrible about it.
- The hikers were warned not to step on the fragile alpine flowers that grew along the edge of the narrow mountain path.

## Pitfalls

- Not "I stepped the spider on." but "I stepped on the spider." — this phrasal verb is inseparable; the object cannot come between the verb and the preposition.

## Usage notes

- usually followed by a noun representing a surface or a physical object.
- Teaching tip: contrast with the figurative 'step on it' (meaning to hurry or accelerate) to show how a literal phrasal verb can become an idiom with the addition of a fixed pronoun.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.