End
Stepping stone
Both terms in one sentence
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There Can Be Only One: Central theme of episode 5 A, "Be my stepping stone" Miki and The Rival are trapped in a dead end and invoke this trope: To go out, they need to defeat the other and use her as a stepping stone.
Source: Manga / Muteki Kanban Musume - Muteki Kanban Musume: Central theme of episode 5 A, "Be my stepping stone" The protagonist and The Rival (both of them ManChilds ArrogantKungFuGuys) are trapped in a dead end between buildings and invoke this trope: To go out, they need to defeat the other and use her as a stepping stone.
Source: There Can Be Only One - It's discovered near the end of Mass Effect 3 that they wanted that data so the could create and control their own husks, both to create a disposable army and as a stepping stone to controlling the Reapers themselves.
Source: Chekhovs Gun / Video Games
Cite this Source
Stepping stone and End. (2016). Retrieved 2026, August 15, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/end/stepping_stone
End & Stepping stone. N.p., 2016. Web. 15 Aug. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/end/stepping_stone>.
Stepping stone or End. 2016. Accessed August 15, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/end/stepping_stone.
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