instep
Americannoun
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insteps
plural
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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.
See Examples For:
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
And he adds to that a goalscoring threat, possessing a lovely method of curling the ball with the instep of his right foot, giving him another weapon when cutting inside from the left wing.
From BBC ● Dec. 8, 2021
Francie looked at his well-polished black shoes and noticed how the cuffless trousers came down in the back over the heel, and what a nice break they made across his instep.
From "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" by Betty Smith
Because December 2006's goal of the month contest was powerful stuff; a 100%-proof cocktail of hollering commentators and screaming shots as semtex insteps hit the ball with gleeful abandon.
From BBC ● Sep. 10, 2024
As the ball rebounds off the hardwood floor he catches it with his feet, still dangling, and taps it around with his insteps, soccer-style.
From Washington Post ● Apr. 8, 2016
Women are so accustomed to the expectation that shoes will be uncomfortable—they will chafe our heels, or squash our toes, or make our insteps ache—that slipping on Birkenstocks felt revelatory.
From The New Yorker ● Mar. 16, 2015
Though she has strikingly arched insteps, she almost never stretched her toes in Act II, so the curves of her points had the look of question marks.
From New York Times ● Apr. 6, 2014
She wore a cotton house dress and red mules, on the insteps of which were little bouquets of red ostrich feathers.
From "Of Mice and Men" by John Steinbeck
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