1
a(1)
: one of the terminal members of the vertebrate foot
(2)
: the fore end of a foot or hoof
b
: a terminal segment of a limb of an invertebrate
c
: the forepart of something worn on the foot
the toe of a boot
2
: a part that by its position or form is felt to resemble a toe
the toe of Italy
: such as
a
: a lateral projection at one end or between the ends of a piece (such as a rod or bolt)
b
: the lowest part (as of an embankment, dam, or cliff)
3
toed; toeing
1
: to touch, reach, or drive with the toe
toe a football
2
: to furnish with a toe
toe a sock
3
: to drive (something, such as a nail) obliquely
also
: to clinch or fasten by or with nails or rods so driven
1
: tiptoe
2
: to stand, walk, or be placed so that the toes assume an indicated position or direction
toe in
Examples of toe in a Sentence
Noun
He felt the sand between his toes.
I accidentally stepped on her toe.
I stubbed my toe on the table's leg.
My sock has a hole in the toe.
the toe of her boot
the toe of the peninsula
Verb
She toed off her shoes.
The pitcher toed the rubber.
Recent Examples on the Web
Beth Warren, USA TODAY, 6 Apr. 2024
However, Swift is always one to keep fans on their toes.
—Catherine Santino, Peoplemag, 3 Apr. 2024
Many people with diabetes suffer from neuropathy, which is tingling or pain in the toes, feet, and hands.
—Andrew Price, Discover Magazine, 3 Apr. 2024
Thankfully, seamless socks exist, eliminating that pesky feeling around the toes.
—Maya Polton, Parents, 28 Mar. 2024
Our host, warming his toes by the stove, was 90 years old.
—Stanley Stewart, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Mar. 2024
After finding success in one business, entrepreneurs will often dip their toes in one or more other businesses, either as the founder, a board member or in another leadership capacity.
—Rolling Stone Culture Council, Rolling Stone, 21 Mar. 2024
Schwarzenegger, the experts noted, dipped his toes into political waters before running for governor of California.
—Danny Emerman, The Mercury News, 20 Mar. 2024
And over the past few years hip-hop artists like Drake (Virginia Black) and A$AP Rocky (Mercer + Prince) have dipped their toes into the whiskey world.
—Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 19 Mar. 2024
Bailey Richards, Peoplemag, 1 Apr. 2024
Political candidates and those who seek to win higher office constantly toe the line between conformity and self-expression, the former usually trumps the latter.
—Robyn Mowatt, Essence, 29 Mar. 2024
In 2018, Zhang Yiming, the founder of ByteDance, toed the party line after Beijing shut down ByteDance’s jokes app.
—Didi Tang, Fortune Asia, 14 Mar. 2024
The cinematic masterpiece is poised to sweep the Oscars, but its creators toe the liberal Hollywood line.
—John Fund, National Review, 10 Mar. 2024
Germany – Europe’s largest economy, and a notable holdout from toeing the Washington line on a blanket ban on Huawei and ZTE equipment – has been noncommittal.
—Eva Dou, Washington Post, 12 Feb. 2024
The new models are less likely to refuse to answer prompts that toe the line of its safety guardrails, similar to rumors about Meta’s plans for Llama 3 when it’s released.
—Emilia David, The Verge, 4 Mar. 2024
Softbank already owns most of Arm, the computer chip design company that has dominated the market for the processors in smartphones, but which has only recently begun tip toeing into chips for AI applications.
—Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 20 Feb. 2024
At 26-26, the Warriors don’t have time to toe that line much longer.
—Shayna Rubin, The Mercury News, 15 Feb. 2024
Noun
From there, the policemen pulled and tugged Pierson halfway across the Gateway to the Americas International Bridge that stretches across the Rio Grande, their toes nearing a yellow line on the pavement that marks the actual divide of nations.
—Beth Warren, USA TODAY, 6 Apr. 2024
However, Swift is always one to keep fans on their toes.
—Catherine Santino, Peoplemag, 3 Apr. 2024
Many people with diabetes suffer from neuropathy, which is tingling or pain in the toes, feet, and hands.
—Andrew Price, Discover Magazine, 3 Apr. 2024
Thankfully, seamless socks exist, eliminating that pesky feeling around the toes.
—Maya Polton, Parents, 28 Mar. 2024
Our host, warming his toes by the stove, was 90 years old.
—Stanley Stewart, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Mar. 2024
After finding success in one business, entrepreneurs will often dip their toes in one or more other businesses, either as the founder, a board member or in another leadership capacity.
—Rolling Stone Culture Council, Rolling Stone, 21 Mar. 2024
Schwarzenegger, the experts noted, dipped his toes into political waters before running for governor of California.
—Danny Emerman, The Mercury News, 20 Mar. 2024
And over the past few years hip-hop artists like Drake (Virginia Black) and A$AP Rocky (Mercer + Prince) have dipped their toes into the whiskey world.
—Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 19 Mar. 2024
Verb
In the shot, Hailey glows from head — or more accurately, bunny ears — to toe in the Easter ‘fit and is backdropped by sparkling blue water.
—Bailey Richards, Peoplemag, 1 Apr. 2024
Political candidates and those who seek to win higher office constantly toe the line between conformity and self-expression, the former usually trumps the latter.
—Robyn Mowatt, Essence, 29 Mar. 2024
In 2018, Zhang Yiming, the founder of ByteDance, toed the party line after Beijing shut down ByteDance’s jokes app.
—Didi Tang, Fortune Asia, 14 Mar. 2024
The cinematic masterpiece is poised to sweep the Oscars, but its creators toe the liberal Hollywood line.
—John Fund, National Review, 10 Mar. 2024
Germany – Europe’s largest economy, and a notable holdout from toeing the Washington line on a blanket ban on Huawei and ZTE equipment – has been noncommittal.
—Eva Dou, Washington Post, 12 Feb. 2024
The new models are less likely to refuse to answer prompts that toe the line of its safety guardrails, similar to rumors about Meta’s plans for Llama 3 when it’s released.
—Emilia David, The Verge, 4 Mar. 2024
Softbank already owns most of Arm, the computer chip design company that has dominated the market for the processors in smartphones, but which has only recently begun tip toeing into chips for AI applications.
—Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 20 Feb. 2024
At 26-26, the Warriors don’t have time to toe that line much longer.
—Shayna Rubin, The Mercury News, 15 Feb. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'toe.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Toe.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/toe. Accessed 16 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
toe
1 of 2 noun1
a
: one of the jointed parts of the front end of a vertebrate foot
b
: the front end or part of a foot or hoof
c
: the front end or part of something worn on the foot
2
: something that resembles a toe
toe
2 of 2 verb
toed; toeing
: to touch, reach, or kick with the toes
Medical Definition
toe
noun
: one of the terminal members of a vertebrate's foot
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