tread lightly

phrase

: to proceed carefully

If you're thinking about asking for a raise, I advise you to tread lightly.

Examples of tread lightly in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

That's totally fine too, just tread lightly though. — Emily Elias, Bon Appetit Magazine, 9 Apr. 2026

College basketball isn’t broken simply because elite freshmen tread lightly into their futures. — Jerry Brewer, New York Times, 23 Feb. 2026

Now tread lightly on the pedal. — Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 22 Dec. 2025

All travelers are reminded to prioritize putting their dollars towards small and independent businesses, as well as following the Leave No Trace principle to tread lightly and lessen their impact. — Rachel Chang, Travel + Leisure, 21 Dec. 2025

Rhymes for tread lightly

• forthrightly
• fortnightly
• politely
• unsightly
• uprightly
• brightly
• knightly
• nightly
• rightly
• sightly
• slightly
• sprightly