tread lightly

Also tread care·ful·ly

[tred lahyt-lee]

idiom

1. to act or speak with care and tactfulness in order to avoid words or behavior that could be offensive or upsetting to others.

   There are certain issues we have to tread lightly on if we have any hope of helping these kids.

Word History and Origins

Origin of tread lightly¹

First recorded in 1990–95

Example Sentences

Martin Luther King Jr.’s two living children are urging people to tread lightly with a newly released trove of records related to their father’s assassination.

From Los Angeles Times

Dartmoor wild campers are being urged to "tread lightly and leave no trace", by the park authority after the ruling.

From BBC

Just tread lightly if you’re feeding a crowd—spice tolerance can vary wildly.

From Salon

Two senior White House officials told me that they must tread lightly when discussing Musk, or anything else Trump finds problematic.

From Salon

For the South Korean conservatives, impeachment is their exposed nerve, and they have reason to tread lightly.

From Los Angeles Times