tiptoe
the tip or end of a toe.
to move or go on tiptoe, as with caution or stealth: She tiptoed out of the room.
characterized by standing or walking on tiptoe.
straining upward.
eagerly expectant.
cautious; stealthy.
eagerly or cautiously; on tiptoe.
Idioms about tiptoe
on tiptoe,
on the tips of one's toes.
expectant; eager: With Christmas coming, the children were on tiptoe.
stealthily; cautiously: The concert had already begun, so he entered the back of the hall on tiptoe.
Origin of tiptoe
1Words Nearby tiptoe
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use tiptoe in a sentence
She published a book on moral education and joined organizations dedicated to social purity, and while medicine tiptoed along a more scientific path, she went down another.
Determined to practice medicine, two sisters defied conventions | Janet Golden | February 5, 2021 | Washington PostInstead, we’ve tiptoed around it, whispering and hanging back instead of getting on with the difficult work of defusing it.
With a small packed bag, I tiptoed towards the door thinking that he was asleep.
Up for sale: Stories of three Indian women who were trafficked as brides | Sreya Banerjea | October 3, 2020 | QuartzNow, as the world tiptoes back toward normalcy, those who lost work will be applying to open positions in droves.
How do you explain your resume gap in a COVID job market? | Kristine Gill | September 25, 2020 | FortuneA lot of publishers, particularly business-facing publishers, are still tiptoeing around ticketing, said Hindman.
‘You have to innovate on the value’: The disparate state of virtual event ticketing | Lucinda Southern | August 7, 2020 | Digiday
A couple of ladies, standing on tiptoe, are scribbling over it with eyeliner and lipstick.
The Stacks: The Neville Brothers Stake Their Claim as Bards of the Bayou | John Ed Bradley | April 27, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTIf Romney tries to run or tiptoe away, he will trip over his own flip-flops.
How Obama Will Cash In on Paul Ryan: Medicare, Taxes, Education & More | Robert Shrum | August 13, 2012 | THE DAILY BEASTRomney, on account of his wealthy personal life, has to tiptoe around policies that redistribute wealth upward.
The establishment has to tiptoe around her and handle her delicately.
You must tell George that he must walk on tiptoe and not speak—otherwise he will die someday.
He caught his breath, he paused, then stepped within on tiptoe, and the hush of four thousand years closed after him.
The Wave | Algernon BlackwoodAgain she raised herself tiptoe before me, and with a hand on each shoulder, she stood looking from her eyes into mine.
The Soldier of the Valley | Nelson LloydThe next summer Kari had grown so big and fat that I could not reach his back even when I stood on tiptoe.
Kari the Elephant | Dhan Gopal MukerjiThey tried to make as little noise as possible, but though they walked on tiptoe, the sound echoed back to them dully.
The Adventure Girls at K Bar O | Clair BlankMrs Bellingham went on tiptoe towards the door, and chiding herself because her stiff, weary limbs made some slight noise.
Ruth | Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell
British Dictionary definitions for tiptoe
/ (ˈtɪpˌtəʊ) /
to walk with the heels off the ground and the weight supported by the ball of the foot and the toes
to walk silently or stealthily
on tiptoe
on the tips of the toes or on the ball of the foot and the toes
eagerly anticipating something
stealthily or silently
on tiptoe
walking or standing on tiptoe
stealthy or silent
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Other Idioms and Phrases with tiptoe
see on tiptoe.
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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