tiptoe

1 of 4

noun

tip·​toe ˈtip-ˌtō 

-ˈtō

: the position of being balanced on the balls of the feet and toes with the heels raised

—usually used with on

also : the ends of the toes

see also:

on tiptoe

tiptoe

2 of 4

verb

tiptoed; tiptoeing

intransitive verb

1

: to walk or proceed quietly or cautiously on or as if on tiptoe

tiptoe around the issue

2

: to stand or raise oneself on tiptoe

tiptoe

3 of 4

adverb

: on or as if on tiptoe

tiptoe

4 of 4

adjective

1

: standing or walking on or as if on tiptoe

2

: cautious, stealthy

Examples of tiptoe in a Sentence

Verb

She tiptoed through the puddle.

He tiptoed quietly around the house to avoid waking the children.

Adverb

She had to stand tiptoe to reach the shelf.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

At one point, Reiner stood on his tiptoes to peer over the lawyers’ heads to look at the audience. — Dallas Morning News, 7 Jan. 2026

Clark then put her back against the padded wall behind her and stood on her tiptoes to try to fit all of the media members in the frame. — James Boyd, New York Times, 23 Apr. 2026

Verb

Hovland’s chance, for the win, tiptoed along the right side of the hole and settled nine inches away. — Joe Arruda, Hartford Courant, 29 June 2026

Yes, the Avs are tiptoeing into salary-cap Hades. — Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 31 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Verb

circa 1661, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Adverb

1592, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

1593, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing tiptoe

• on tiptoe
• tiptoe around

Rhymes for tiptoe

• beau
• beaut
• beaux
• blow
• bro
• coe
• crow
• doe
• doh
• dough
• eau
• eaux

Kids Definition

tiptoe

1 of 3 noun

tip·​toe ˈtip-ˌtō 

-ˈtō

1

: the tip of a toe

2

: the ends of the toes

tiptoe

2 of 3 adverb or adjective

: on or as if on tiptoe

tiptoe

3 of 3 verb

tiptoed; tiptoeing

: to walk on tiptoe