tiptoe

noun

tip·toe | \ ˈtip-ˌtō

, -ˈtō\

Definition of tiptoe

(Entry 1 of 4)

: 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

on tiptoe

: alert, aroused the contest of skill that puts one on tiptoe to win — Deerfield (Wisc.) Independent

tiptoe

verb

tiptoed; tiptoeing

Definition of tiptoe (Entry 2 of 4)

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

adverb

Definition of tiptoe (Entry 3 of 4)

: on or as if on tiptoe

tiptoe

adjective

Definition of tiptoe (Entry 4 of 4)

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

The shoe also re-triggers the childhood trauma of seeing Barbie’s foot, frozen in an exaggerated tiptoe extension for eternity. — Christine Lennon, WSJ, "Why the Shiny Nude Pump Must Die," 31 May 2018 Women are still held to standards that men on their tiptoes could never reach. — Mattie Kahn, Glamour, "Tiffany Haddish Bombed a Stand-Up Set, But It's Her Apology After That Matters," 2 Jan. 2019 In America’s Game, the end of an era departed on tiptoe. — Michael Farber, SI.com, "Mark Moseley, Last of the Straight-On Kickers," 2 July 2018 The room was hot and sweaty and smelled like feet, and Red Bull skydiver Jeff Provenzano was struggling to hold a squat on tiptoe. — Jacqueline Detwiler, Popular Mechanics, "This Pro Skydiver Was Invincible—Until his Heart Stopped Beating Regularly," 22 June 2018 The tiptoe toward retirement carries far greater importance than the typical executive turnover. — Philip Elliott, Time, "Billionaire Industrialist David Koch Retires From Business and Politics," 5 June 2018 Many of the women’s turns were executed with the foot on half tiptoe rather than fully on the tips of the toes. — New York Times, "In ‘Harlequinade,’ Gestures Dance, and Dances Tell Stories," 29 May 2018 Austin departs on her tiptoes, probably ferried in a chariot pulled by centaurs. — Tamar Adler, Vogue, "What Statement Should Your Wedding Cake Make?," 17 May 2018 As Yong reports, another set of human prints—which were much fainter, as if the person was moving on tiptoes—approaches from the opposite direction. — Jason Daley, Smithsonian, "Fossil Tracks May Record Ancient Humans Hunting Giant Sloths," 30 Apr. 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

Developers are tiptoeing back into the condo market for the first time since before the housing crash a decade ago, switching some project plans from for-rent apartments to for-sale condos. — Mike Rosenberg, The Seattle Times, "Seattle construction still booming and won’t end anytime soon," 19 Feb. 2019 Untangling the tumbleweed of twinkle lights was like tiptoeing back in time. — Al Kemp, The Seattle Times, "How I came to grips with a downsized Christmas," 12 Dec. 2018 The Federal Reserve is shrinking its balance sheet, and policy makers have said repeatedly that the path for U.S. interest rates is still higher, while the European Central Bank is tiptoeing toward an exit from its bond-purchase program. — Mike Bird, WSJ, "Rising Rates Threaten a Bull-Market Mantra," 30 Oct. 2018 Into that void, various entrepreneurs have tried to quietly supply recreational users, and medical patients who use the plant to alleviate their pain, while tiptoeing around the law. — Tauhid Chappell, Washington Post, "In the murky world of D.C. marijuana law, ‘pop-up’ markets thrive," 26 Mar. 2018 The court also tiptoed near major rulings on gay rights and partisan gerrymandering of voting maps, only to put them off for another day. — Jess Bravin, WSJ, "Supreme Court Opens New Term Without Ninth Justice in Place," 30 Sep. 2018 But the administration has since tiptoed away from that rhetoric, trying to separate the two negotiations. — Jen Kirby, Vox, "The NAFTA deadline is Sunday. What happens if there’s no deal?," 29 Sep. 2018 Perhaps the most telling move came Tuesday, when Iran began to tiptoe back toward building up its nuclear capabilities. — Amanda Erickson, Washington Post, "It looks like Iran’s turn to sink the nuclear deal," 6 June 2018 As Alcantara tiptoed through trouble on the mound, the Marlins’ future at the plate flexed his muscles. — Matthew Defranks, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Marlins' future on display as Sandy Alcantara, Lewis Brinson lead Miami past Mets," 30 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'tiptoe.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.