tread
verb (used without object)
to set down the foot or feet in walking; step; walk.
are treading
-
present progressiveof tread.present progressive
Used to describe an ongoing action or state that is currently taking place in the immediate present.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Actors, writers, production staff and movie fans are still resistant to the overuse of AI and defining when and where it is acceptable, so studios are treading lightly, said AI film studio CEO Mooser.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 26, 2026
“Meanwhile, middle and lower income households, who are under more financial strain from high prices and weak income growth, are treading water.”
From Barron's ● Jun. 17, 2026
This goes a long way to explain why so many Americans feel as if they are treading financial water.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 13, 2026
These cracks aren’t just showing up in sentiment, either: The chief economist at Moody’s Analytics estimates 22 states are already in a recession, while another 13 are treading water economically.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 21, 2025
We are treading in the footsteps of the anthropologists when we find among the most undeveloped savages a tendency to personify the objects of their worship.
From International Congress of Arts and Science, Volume I Philosophy and Metaphysics by Various
