The present was only ever a stepping-off point for the really old ones.

Why not a New Zealand ballet using that nation's colorful history as a stepping-off point?

But as they are experienced by the people who suffer from them, it is just that: a component, a stepping-off point into the abyss.

London is the stepping-off point to Europe, the U.S. and the Middle East.

Mr. Dole used the Molinari announcement as a stepping-off point to talk about his record of appointing women.

Mechanical difficulties are really just a stepping-off point for insights into human nature found in the vignettes collected in "Keys to the City."

But he thought they might be shacked up there as a convenient stepping-off point for hunting expeditions into Park territory.

Madden said, in accepting the award, that he was going to use it as a stepping-off point for improving his company's image.

Despite its own attractions, Cairns is best-known as a stepping-off point for scuba and snorkelling trips to the Reef.

And because one of its goals is community empowerment, officials hope it can be a stepping-off point for a new generation of political and business leaders.