as in walking
to go on foot
to protect the fragile environment of the beach dunes, we must tread cautiously and lightly
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Recent Examples of treading
Forbes has compiled a list of 20 big private equity zombies—businesses that are either scaling back, like Vestar, or simply treading water.
—
Hank Tucker, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
Teams treading water make necessary moves, not declarative ones.
—Evan Grant, Dallas Morning News, 22 Jan. 2026
The other depicts a series of scenes featuring various people and objects treading water amidst flaming wreckage.
—Douglas Markowitz, Miami Herald, 21 Jan. 2026
Liverpool have already been treading a fine line.
—Andy Jones, New York Times, 13 Jan. 2026
Teams like the Bucks and Bulls, who are treading water in the Eastern Conference, cannot afford to wait to turn on the jets after the All-Star break.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 28 Dec. 2025
In other words, while the alternative services are doing their bit to soften the blow, the pay-TV business as a whole is still sort of treading water in the vicinity of the Pacific Trash Vortex.
—Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 12 Dec. 2025
So many of them hook you in and are interesting, and then start treading water and peter out.
—Ronda Racha Penrice, HollywoodReporter, 12 Nov. 2025
The Loons have been, at best, treading water over the past month, and the veteran Trapp knows no one is going to throw them a life preserver.
—Andy Greder, Twin Cities, 26 Oct. 2025
Hank Tucker, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
Teams treading water make necessary moves, not declarative ones.
—Evan Grant, Dallas Morning News, 22 Jan. 2026
The other depicts a series of scenes featuring various people and objects treading water amidst flaming wreckage.
—Douglas Markowitz, Miami Herald, 21 Jan. 2026
Liverpool have already been treading a fine line.
—Andy Jones, New York Times, 13 Jan. 2026
Teams like the Bucks and Bulls, who are treading water in the Eastern Conference, cannot afford to wait to turn on the jets after the All-Star break.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 28 Dec. 2025
In other words, while the alternative services are doing their bit to soften the blow, the pay-TV business as a whole is still sort of treading water in the vicinity of the Pacific Trash Vortex.
—Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 12 Dec. 2025
So many of them hook you in and are interesting, and then start treading water and peter out.
—Ronda Racha Penrice, HollywoodReporter, 12 Nov. 2025
The Loons have been, at best, treading water over the past month, and the veteran Trapp knows no one is going to throw them a life preserver.
—Andy Greder, Twin Cities, 26 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for treading
Verb
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Victoria Falls and the Zambezi River showcase some of the world’s greatest natural spectacles, while South Luangwa National Park is renowned for its walking safaris and night drives.—
Laura Begley Bloom,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
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The publication process, on the other hand, is like walking around a carnival.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
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In one sequence, an officer is seen reaching into the struggle empty-handed and stepping away holding a gun, which appears to have been removed from Pretti's waistband.—
Sarah N. Lynch,
CBS News,
27 Jan. 2026
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This psychological pattern can create a difficult cycle where stepping away from work feels threatening rather than restorative, and incomplete tasks carry an emotional weight that extends well beyond the office.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
26 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Treading.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/treading. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
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