Noun
A stone to raise the feet above the surface of water or mud in walking.
Fig.: A means of progress or advancement.
Source: Webster's dictionarystepping stone
The block of granite which was an obstacle in the pathway of the weak, became a stepping-stone in the pathway of the strong. Thomas Carlyle
A stumbling block to the pessimist is a stepping-stone to the optimist. Eleanor Roosevelt
What is marriage, is marriage protection or religion, is marriage renunciation or abundance, is marriage a stepping-stone or an end. What is marriage. Gertrude Stein
The present assault on capital is but the beginning. It will be but the stepping-stone to others, larger and more sweeping, till our political contests will become a war of the poor against the rich-a war constantly growing in intensity and bitterness. Stephen Johnson Field
Even a modest Basic Income program could become a stepping-stone toward the most profound transformation of all: to unlatch work from livelihood entirely. David Graeber
Everything in my life has been a stepping-stone to something else. Stacy Keibler