dip your toes

Meanings

1. 1phraseidiomfigurative

   to try something new in a small, cautious way before deciding to do it fully.

   Grammar: Used with 'into' or 'in' plus a noun or -ing form: dip your toes into teaching.

   Patterns

   • dip your toes into something
   • dip your toes in something
   • dip your toes into doing something

   She dipped her toes into the stock market with a small investment.

   Before moving abroad, he dipped his toes into learning Spanish.

   The company is dipping its toes into renewable energy this year.

2. 2phraseidiom

   to put your feet briefly into water, especially to test how cold it is.

   Grammar: Literal use; often followed by 'in' or 'into' a pool, sea, or bath.

   Patterns

   • dip your toes in something
   • dip your toes into something

   We sat on the dock and dipped our toes in the lake.

   He dipped his toes into the hot bath to check the temperature.

Common combinations

dip your toes into a market

Small investors are dipping their toes into the housing market.

dip your toes into politics

After years of local work, she dipped her toes into politics.

dip your toes in the water

The children dipped their toes in the water and squealed.

just dip your toes in

You don't have to commit; just dip your toes in and see.

Synonyms and how they differ

test the waters

Similar idea of trying something cautiously, but it does not suggest starting small and gradually.

try out

More neutral and general; it does not carry the image of a cautious first step.

ease into

Focuses on doing something slowly and gently, not on a first trial.

Opposites

Word family

toe noun

one of the digits on your foot.

dip verb

to put something briefly into liquid.

Commonly confused: dip your toes or dip a toe in?

Practice

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Write a sentence using “dip your toes”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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