tiptoe around
phrasal verb
tiptoed around; tiptoeing around; tiptoes around
: to avoid talking about (something) : to talk about (something) only in an indirect way
They tiptoed around the subject of her poor health.
Examples of tiptoe around in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Now European leaders, after tiptoeing around Trump for the past year, are openly discussing retaliatory tariffs.
—
Isaac Chotiner, New Yorker, 21 Jan. 2026
Taylor tiptoes around the topic a bit, careful to not overgeneralize.
—Lindsey Underwood, Vanity Fair, 13 Jan. 2026
At the same time, try not to be overly cautious or tiptoe around the facts of people’s lives.
—R. Eric Thomas, Mercury News, 26 Nov. 2025
Her insistence that Larry will return keeps her husband and surviving son in a constant limbo, tiptoeing around her feelings.
—Demetrios Matheou, HollywoodReporter, 22 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tiptoe around
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Isaac Chotiner, New Yorker, 21 Jan. 2026
Taylor tiptoes around the topic a bit, careful to not overgeneralize.
—Lindsey Underwood, Vanity Fair, 13 Jan. 2026
At the same time, try not to be overly cautious or tiptoe around the facts of people’s lives.
—R. Eric Thomas, Mercury News, 26 Nov. 2025
Her insistence that Larry will return keeps her husband and surviving son in a constant limbo, tiptoeing around her feelings.
—Demetrios Matheou, HollywoodReporter, 22 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tiptoe around
Cite this Entry
“Tiptoe around.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tiptoe%20around. Accessed 31 Jan. 2026.
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