on tiptoe

Eagerly anticipating something, as in The children were on tiptoe before the birthday party . [Late 1500s]
Moving stealthily, warily, as in They went down the hall on tiptoe . [Mid-1700s] Both usages transfer standing on one's toes to a particular reason for doing so; def. 2 alludes to moving more quietly in this fashion.

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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.

She rose on tiptoe and performed a single, wobbly pirouette.

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Once she could have sworn she saw figures standing on tiptoe on the glittering surface of the water.

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Joe stood on tiptoe to read the sign near the front door.

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Even standing on tiptoe, there was no way they could reach it alone.

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Eight-year-old Willow Lopez stood on tiptoe, her chin hooked over the 4-foot steel fence and her heart doing atomic drops as the aging wrestler climbed into the ring at the Sonoma County Fair.