Meaning & use
dip a toe
Last updated
Meaning
phraseidiomfigurative
To try an activity or become involved in something in a small, cautious way before deciding to do more.
Grammar: Often followed by 'into' or 'in': dip a toe into politics. It is used figuratively; the literal meaning is putting a toe in water.
Patterns
- dip a toe into something
- dip a toe in the water
She decided to dip a toe into the world of online teaching by offering one short course.
After retiring, he dipped a toe into local politics but soon withdrew.
The company is dipping a toe in the Asian market with a small pilot project.
Common combinations
- dip a toe into something
- He dipped a toe into investment by buying a few shares.
- dip a toe in the water
- Before committing, she dipped a toe in the water with a trial membership.
- dip a toe into the market
- The brand is dipping a toe into the luxury market.
Synonyms and how they differ
- test the waters
- Similar meaning, but 'test the waters' often implies checking reactions before a bigger action, while 'dip a toe' emphasizes a very small, cautious first step.
- try out
- More direct and less figurative; 'try out' suggests a trial, but not necessarily the cautious, minimal involvement of 'dip a toe'.
Opposites
Commonly confused: dip a toe or toe the line?
dip a toe vs toe the line
A different idiom meaning to obey rules; 'dip a toe' is about cautious involvement.
Practice
She wasn't ready to commit fully, so she decided to ______ into freelance writing.
Choose one answer.
The idiom is 'dip a toe into something', so 'dip a toe' followed by 'into' is correct. 'Dip a toe in' is also possible but less common; 'at' and 'on' are not used.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “dip a toe”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.