tiptoed around
Walked on eggshells
To tiptoe around something is to avoid addressing it directly, treating a subject with excessive caution to prevent conflict or discomfort.
Everyone tiptoed around the topic of his divorce.
The phrase suggests the careful, quiet movement of literally walking on one's toes—trying not to disturb anything.
When you tiptoe around a person, you're being overly careful not to upset them, often to an unhealthy degree: The whole office tiptoed around the boss's temper.
- skirtedAvoided by going around
- dodgedAvoided by quick movement
- evadedSuccessfully avoided capture
- circumventedEvaded by going around
- glossed overSuperficially addressed, then moved on
padded · sidestepped · crept · glided · avoided · sneaked · bypassed · shuffled · hedged · pussyfooted · walked on eggshells · slinked · deflected · parried · sidled · soft-pedaled · prowled · finessed
tiptoed aroundconfronted
Challenged or opposed directly
called out · cut to the chase · took the bull by the horns · tackled · grasped the nettle
tiptoe, tiptoes, tiptoeing, tipped, tipping, tipper, toed, toeing, around