Meaning & use
tread lightly
To act with caution, care, or restraint, especially to avoid causing offense, harm, or unwanted attention.
See it in a sentence
New employees are told to tread lightly around office politics during their first few months.
Reporters had to tread lightly when interviewing the grieving family.
A note on using this word
Tread lightly is figurative, describing careful behavior in a sensitive situation; it is rarely used to describe literal quiet walking.
Words with a similar meaning
proceed carefullybe cautious
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
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