ADJ
distinct
My daughter went through several distinct stages while learning to read.
early, first, initial, opening, preliminary
advanced, closing, final, last, late, latter, terminal
The project reached its final stage when the team submitted all the required documentation.
halfway, intermediate | successive | critical, crucial, important, key, main
easy
Learning to drive becomes less stressful when your instructor breaks it down into easy stages.
difficult | delicate, vulnerable | embryonic, larval, pupal | experimental, exploratory
committee, design, development/developmental, formative, planning
The project is in its developmental stage, so we're still making changes.
knockout, semi-final, etc.
The team's loss in the semi-final stage meant they couldn't compete for the championship title.
VERB + STAGE
go/move/pass through
A caterpillar passes through four distinct stages before it becomes a butterfly.
enter, reach
Their relationship reached an important stage when they decided to move in together.
PREP
at a/the ~
Everyone experiences moments of doubt at some stage in their life.
by ~s
The old house was renovated by stages over five years.
during/in a/the ~
During the early stages of learning English, many students find grammar challenging.
in ~s
The company launched its new product in three stages over the next year.
~ in
The project is now at a critical stage in its development.
~ of
At the final stage of the project, the team discovered a serious problem with the design.
PHRASES
the beginning/end of a stage
The beginning of this stage in her career was marked by a lot of uncertainty.
a/one stage further
The company decided to go one stage further by opening retail stores in every major city.
a stage of development/life
ADJ
centre
The company's new product took centre stage at the technology conference last week.
revolving
VERB + STAGE
go on, take (to)
The famous actor went on stage for the first time when he was just eight years old.
leave
The band left the stage after playing their final song of the night.
set
The company's successful product launch set the stage for their expansion into new markets.
boo sb off
STAGE + NOUN
management, manager
direction
The actor forgot to follow the stage direction and walked off from the wrong side.
play, production, show | appearance, performance, role
set
The designer created an impressive stage set for the theater production last month.
door
name
The singer chose a stage name because she wanted to keep her real identity private.
left, right
fright
My sister was so nervous before her school play that she had terrible stage fright.
PREP
off ~
The actors waited nervously off stage before the curtain rose for the evening performance.
on ~
The lead actor was nervous before going on stage for opening night.
ADV
carefully
The school play was carefully staged to impress all the parents in the audience.
elaborately
The theater company elaborately staged the musical with impressive sets and costumes.