tiptoe

[ tip-toh ]

/ ˈtɪpˌtoʊ /

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See synonyms for: tiptoe / tiptoed / tiptoeing / tiptoes on Thesaurus.com

noun

the tip or end of a toe.

verb (used without object), tip·toed, tip·toe·ing.

to move or go on tiptoe, as with caution or stealth:She tiptoed out of the room.

adjective

characterized by standing or walking on tiptoe.

straining upward.

eagerly expectant.

cautious; stealthy.

adverb

eagerly or cautiously; on tiptoe.

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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

1350–1400; Middle English tiptoon (plural noun). See tip¹, toe

Words nearby tiptoe

tipster, tipsy, tipsy cake, tip the balance, tip-tilted, tiptoe, tiptop, Tiptronic, tip truck, tipu, tipuna

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

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 Post
Instead, we’ve tiptoed around it, whispering and hanging back instead of getting on with the difficult work of defusing it.
Democracy survived, barely|Robin Givhan|January 21, 2021|Washington Post
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|Quartz
Now, 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|Fortune

A 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|DAILY BEAST
If 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|DAILY BEAST
Romney, on account of his wealthy personal life, has to tiptoe around policies that redistribute wealth upward.
What's Wrong With Perry's Tax Plan|David Sessions|October 25, 2011|DAILY BEAST
The establishment has to tiptoe around her and handle her delicately.
How to Derail Palin for 2012|Tunku Varadarajan|November 1, 2010|DAILY BEAST
You must tell George that he must walk on tiptoe and not speak—otherwise he will die someday.
A Mark Twain Christmas Story|The Daily Beast|December 24, 2009|DAILY BEAST
He caught his breath, he paused, then stepped within on tiptoe, and the hush of four thousand years closed after him.
The Wave|Algernon Blackwood
Again 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 Lloyd
The 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 Mukerji
They 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 Blank
Mrs 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

tiptoe

/ (ˈtɪpˌtəʊ) /

verb -toes, -toeing or -toed (intr)

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

noun

on tiptoe

on the tips of the toes or on the ball of the foot and the toes
eagerly anticipating something
stealthily or silently

adverb

on tiptoe

adjective

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

tiptoe

see on tiptoe.

tiptoe

Idioms about tiptoe

Origin of tiptoe

Words nearby tiptoe

Words related to tiptoe

How to use tiptoe in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for tiptoe

Other Idioms and Phrases with tiptoe