instep
Americannoun
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the arched upper surface of the human foot between the toes and the ankle.
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the part of a shoe, stocking, etc., covering this surface.
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the front of the hind leg of a horse, cow, etc., between the hock and the pastern joint; cannon.
noun
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the middle section of the human foot, forming the arch between the ankle and toes
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the part of a shoe, stocking, etc, covering this
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of instep
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.
It was hardly his best international goal - a scuff off his instep from Patrick Berg's pull-back that Ivorian keeper Yaya Fofana nearly grabbed off the line - but it is his most important.
From BBC • Jun. 30, 2026
One player complained that Berhalter, a defender, delivered passes that had too much spin on them, so he spent hours learning to kick the ball with the laces of his boot instead of the instep.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 2, 2022
He brought down one long pass to him during the recent Merseyside derby against Everton with the instep of his right foot that he had tucked behind his left leg.
From Seattle Times • May 4, 2022
The presenting diagnosis is diffuse gangrenous inflammation and infiltration of connective tissue of the entire lower right extremity, extending from the instep upward to the buttock.
From Textbooks • Dec. 21, 2021
He folded his arms and stared at the ceiling while massaging the instep of one foot with the big toe of the other.
From "Atonement" by Ian McEwan
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
