This is the 13536th most frequent Russian word.
наступать
To advance, approach, or step on.
Here, 'наступать' means 'to advance' in a context of moving forward strategically, often militarily.
Солдаты начали наступать на позиции противника.
The soldiers began to advance on the enemy positions.
In this sentence, 'наступать' is used metaphorically to mean 'to arrive' or 'come into presence', often related to time.
С холодами стало наступать время зимних праздников.
With the cold, the time of winter holidays began to arrive.
Here, 'наступать' means 'to step on', indicating physical contact or pressure via the foot.