: 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
tiptoed; tiptoeing
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
: on or as if on tiptoe
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
Dallas Morning News, 7 Jan. 2026
Still, almost 30,000 people waited with sweat soaking their shirts, standing on tiptoe to get a glimpse of the men walking toward the center of the arena.
—Vann R. Newkirk Ii, The Atlantic, 16 Sep. 2025
Jazz Monroe, Pitchfork, 16 Jan. 2026
That the win came over a team without a Big Ten win to date barely mattered in the moment, not with how closely the Trojans appeared to be tiptoeing along the brink over the last two weeks.
—Ryan Kartje, Los Angeles Times, 14 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for tiptoe
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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
Still, almost 30,000 people waited with sweat soaking their shirts, standing on tiptoe to get a glimpse of the men walking toward the center of the arena.
—Vann R. Newkirk Ii, The Atlantic, 16 Sep. 2025
Verb
Moby has tiptoed into the studio for a new, mostly ambient album, Future Quiet.
—Jazz Monroe, Pitchfork, 16 Jan. 2026
That the win came over a team without a Big Ten win to date barely mattered in the moment, not with how closely the Trojans appeared to be tiptoeing along the brink over the last two weeks.
—Ryan Kartje, Los Angeles Times, 14 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for tiptoe
Cite this Entry
“Tiptoe.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tiptoe. Accessed 28 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationKids 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
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