tiptoe1 nountiptoe2 verb
tiptoetip‧toe1 /ˈtɪptəʊ $ -toʊ/ ●○○ noun 
EXAMPLES FROM THE CORPUS
- Hold on to the bannister rail and lower your heels down slowly, then slowly rise on tiptoe.
- I went to the kitchen on tiptoe.
- In answer she lifted herself up on tiptoe and leaned against his tall, firm frame.
- One went on tiptoe so as not to disturb the hush.
- Standing tiptoe on the mushy lawn, he tapped on the windows and tried to peek in.
- The creature hovered on tiptoe, ice-cold with shock.
- Then, holding her own breath and moving stealthily on tiptoe, she began to ease her way towards the exit.
- Without even standing on tiptoe, the historian could glimpse the fields and gardens of the neighbouring disciplines.
Longman Language Activatorto be in a standing position
to be on your feet in an upright position: · There were no seats, so we had to stand.stand next to/beside/in etc: · I was standing next to the entrance.· A young girl stood in the doorway, sheltering from the rain.· When we entered, he was standing by his desk.· A hundred policemen stood arm-in-arm in front of the cathedral.stand doing something (=stand while you are doing something): · She stood watching him as he turned to go.stand and do something: · I stood and stared at him in amazement.stand up straight (=with your back and legs straight): · The ceilings were so low that Mark couldn't stand up straight.stand still (=stand without moving): · Stand still while I brush your hair.· He stood still, his feet rooted to the ground in fear.
to stand rather than be sitting, lying down, or kneeling: · It's generally better to do this exercise standing up.· The seats were all taken and we had to stand up all the way from Tokyo to Nagoya.
to be standing, especially for a long time, with the result that you feel tired - use this especially about people who have to stand and walk a lot in their jobs: · You go. I've been on my feet all day, and I need a rest.· She'd been on her feet all morning without once sitting down.
also on your tiptoes standing on your toes, especially when you stretch your body in order to see something or reach something: · She was up on her tiptoes, with her arm about his neck.stand on tiptoe: · She stood on her tiptoes to open the high window.· People were standing on tiptoe to try and see what was happening.
to stand while resting part of your body against a wall, a table etc: lean against/on: · Kay was leaning against the wall, smoking a cigarette.· Joe leaned on the gate and watched as they drove away.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY
She stood on tiptoe to kiss him.COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES
on tiptoe/on (your) tiptoes if you stand or walk on tiptoe, you stand or walk on your toes, in order to make yourself taller or in order to walk very quietly: She stood on tiptoe to kiss him. (=support yourself on your toes) If he stood on tiptoe, he could reach the shelf.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSVERB If he stood on tiptoe, he could reach the shelf.· Cleo stood on tiptoe, trying to see who hid behind the door.· Without even standing on tiptoe, the historian could glimpse the fields and gardens of the neighbouring disciplines.· As Hirsch puts it: If everyone stands on tiptoe, no one sees better.· She was standing on tiptoe with her hands tucked into the folds of her white jellaba.· Habit of appearing to stand on tiptoe, stretching the neck.· Riven stood on tiptoe to try and see what was going on.· If he stood on tiptoe, he could reach the shelf.· He was right, I did have to stand on tiptoe and even then I could hardly reach.
She stood on tiptoe to kiss him.tiptoe1 nountiptoe2 verb
tiptoetiptoe2 ●○○ verb (past tense and past participle tiptoed, present participle tiptoeing) [intransitive always + adverb/preposition] VERB TABLE
tiptoe
| Simple Form | ||
| Present | I, you, we, they | tiptoe |
| he, she, it | tiptoes | |
| Past | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | tiptoed |
| Present perfect | I, you, we, they | have tiptoed |
| he, she, it | has tiptoed | |
| Past perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | had tiptoed |
| Future | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will tiptoe |
| Future perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will have tiptoed |
| Continuous Form | ||
| Present | I | am tiptoeing |
| he, she, it | is tiptoeing | |
| you, we, they | are tiptoeing | |
| Past | I, he, she, it | was tiptoeing |
| you, we, they | were tiptoeing | |
| Present perfect | I, you, we, they | have been tiptoeing |
| he, she, it | has been tiptoeing | |
| Past perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | had been tiptoeing |
| Future | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will be tiptoeing |
| Future perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will have been tiptoeing |
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- He tiptoed out of the room, trying not to wake the baby.
- I tiptoed along the passage to Claire's door and peeped in.
- Even so, he tiptoed into war, never quite believing that it would reach the magnitude it did.
- He tiptoed closer, smiling broadly, waiting for Suzanne to spot him.
- It's possible that he tiptoed down the passage and came in by the main door.
- She tiptoed across the aisle and sat down beside the motionless figure.
- Sometimes Fate tiptoes discreetly at the margins of our lives, averting her eyes and keeping her distance.
- The oldest daughter motioned to the third daughter, who tiptoed into the circle the women had made around the old man.
- They tiptoed along corridors shining and antiseptic, peeped at him where he lay, inert, in his white bed.
THESAURUSto walk quietly
to walk quietly and carefully on your toes because you do not want to make a noise: · I tiptoed out trying not to wake the baby.
to walk quietly and slowly because you do not want anyone to see or hear you: · Stella crept up the stairs, hoping not to wake her parents.
to walk quietly so that no one notices you, especially because you are doing something you should not do: · They sneaked off without paying.· I quickly sneaked out to have a cigarette.
to walk quietly without wearing shoes – also used about cats and dogs walking quietly: · Michelle got up and padded barefoot down to the kitchen.· The cat padded in, asking for her food.
Longman Language Activatorto walk quietly to walk on your toes because you do not want to make any noise: tiptoe into/out of/past etc: · He tiptoed out of the room, trying not to wake the baby.· I tiptoed along the passage to Claire's door and peeped in.
to walk quietly and carefully because you do not want anyone to notice you: creep in/through/across etc: · Ron unlocked the back door and crept out into the yard.· No-one noticed that the little boy had crept into the room and was sitting there, listening.creep/sneak up behind somebody (=walk quietly up behind someone in order to surprise them): · She crept up behind him and put her hands over his eyes.
to walk quietly so that no-one notices you, especially because you are doing something wrong and do not want to be caught: sneak in/up/around etc: · The thieves sneaked in while the guard had his back turned.· Molly snuck around the house.sneak off (=sneak away from a place): · We tried to sneak off from work early.
to walk quietly and steadily, without shoes or with soft shoes, or on a soft surface: pad along/down/in etc: · Michelle got out of bed, and padded across to the window.· The cat came padding softly across the kitchen floor, and jumped onto my lap.
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES
to walk quietly and carefully on your toes, so that nobody hears you: (=support yourself on your toes) If he stood on tiptoe, he could reach the shelf.
If he stood on tiptoe, he could reach the shelf. His mother tiptoed into the room. I tiptoed along the corridor.► see thesaurus at walktiptoe around (something) phrasal verb to try to avoid dealing with a difficult or embarrassing subject or problem: They were tiptoeing around the delicate subject of money.