: 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
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
Sebastian Stafford-Bloor, The Athletic, 1 Aug. 2024
Not long afterward, a derrick anchored offshore and began clawing apart the bluff, clouding Lake Michigan as neighbors, standing on tiptoes, held their phones above the privacy netting and gaped.
—Ben Ryder Howe, Curbed, 7 Aug. 2024
Melanie Anzidei, The Athletic, 25 July 2024
Bo Nix connects with Jaleel McLaughlin who tiptoed into the end zone.
—Matt Schubert, The Denver Post, 27 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for tiptoe 
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Noun
Latecomers are standing on tiptoes, peering between flags, white shirts, television cameras and phones.
—Sebastian Stafford-Bloor, The Athletic, 1 Aug. 2024
Not long afterward, a derrick anchored offshore and began clawing apart the bluff, clouding Lake Michigan as neighbors, standing on tiptoes, held their phones above the privacy netting and gaped.
—Ben Ryder Howe, Curbed, 7 Aug. 2024
Verb
But the allegations came, and quietly went, and Zambia tiptoed towards its second Olympics, having appeared at the Tokyo Games in 2021.
—Melanie Anzidei, The Athletic, 25 July 2024
Bo Nix connects with Jaleel McLaughlin who tiptoed into the end zone.
—Matt Schubert, The Denver Post, 27 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for tiptoe
Dictionary Entries Near tiptoe
Cite this Entry
“Tiptoe.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tiptoe. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.
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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