advance vs step

advance

verb
  • To move or push (something) forwards, especially forcefully. 

  • To raise (someone) in rank or office; to prefer, to promote. 

  • To make (something) happen at an earlier time or date; to bring forward, to hasten. 

  • To make progress; to do well, to succeed. 

  • To move forwards; to approach. 

  • To help the progress of (something); to further. 

  • To move forward in time; to progress towards completion. 

  • To raise or increase (a price, rate). 

  • To provide (money or other value) before it is due, or in expectation of some work; to lend. 

  • To increase (a number or amount). 

  • To make a higher bid at an auction. 

  • To put forward (an idea, argument etc.); to propose. 

noun
  • A forward move; improvement or progression. 

  • An opening approach or overture, now especially of an unwelcome or sexual nature. 

  • An amount of money or credit, especially given as a loan, or paid before it is due; an advancement. 

  • An addition to the price; rise in price or value. 

adj
  • Completed before necessary or a milestone event. 

  • Preceding. 

  • Forward. 

step

verb
  • To move the foot in walking; to advance or recede by raising and moving one of the feet to another resting place, or by moving both feet in succession. 

  • To dance. 

  • To walk slowly, gravely, or resolutely. 

  • To move mentally; to go in imagination. 

  • To walk; to go on foot; especially, to walk a little distance. 

  • To fix the foot of (a mast) in its step; to erect. 

  • To set, as the foot. 

noun
  • The space passed over by one movement of the foot in walking or running. 

  • The interval between two contiguous degrees of the scale. 

  • A running board where passengers step to get on and off the bus. 

  • The part of a spade, digging stick or similar tool that a digger's foot rests against and presses on when digging; an ear, a foot-rest. 

  • A rest, or one of a set of rests, for the foot in ascending or descending, as a stair, or a rung of a ladder. 

  • A print of the foot; a footstep; a footprint; track. 

  • Proceeding; measure; action; act. 

  • One of a series of offsets, or parts, resembling the steps of stairs, as one of the series of parts of a cone pulley on which the belt runs. 

  • A small space or distance. 

  • A portable framework of stairs, much used indoors in reaching to a high position. 

  • A framing in wood or iron which is intended to receive an upright shaft; specifically, a block of wood, or a solid platform upon the keelson, supporting the heel of the mast. 

  • A gait; manner of walking. 

  • An advance or movement made from one foot to the other; a pace. 

  • A bearing in which the lower extremity of a spindle or a vertical shaft revolves. 

  • A change of position effected by a motion of translation. 

  • A walk; passage. 

  • A distinct part of a process; stage; phase. 

  • A stepchild. 

  • A stepsibling. 

  • A constant difference between consecutive values in a series. 

How often have the words advance and step occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )