: 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
Ben Ryder Howe, Curbed, 7 Aug. 2024
Most 2-year-olds can climb over furniture, stand on their tiptoes, and run short distances.
—Alex Vance, Parents, 31 Oct. 2024
Matt Schubert, The Denver Post, 27 Oct. 2024
Following the real-time showings of comedy specials, the streamer tiptoed into live sports with a golf tournament that featured Formula 1 racers, an exhibition tennis match between Spanish stars Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz, and a rematch between hot-dog kings Joey Chestnut and Takeru Kobayashi.
—Dan Reilly, Vulture, 20 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for tiptoe 
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Noun
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
Most 2-year-olds can climb over furniture, stand on their tiptoes, and run short distances.
—Alex Vance, Parents, 31 Oct. 2024
Verb
Bo Nix connects with Jaleel McLaughlin who tiptoed into the end zone.
—Matt Schubert, The Denver Post, 27 Oct. 2024
Following the real-time showings of comedy specials, the streamer tiptoed into live sports with a golf tournament that featured Formula 1 racers, an exhibition tennis match between Spanish stars Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz, and a rematch between hot-dog kings Joey Chestnut and Takeru Kobayashi.
—Dan Reilly, Vulture, 20 Sep. 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 23 Nov. 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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