I. verb
COLLOCATIONS FROM CORPUS
■ ADVERB
carefully
▪
So she had to tread carefully .
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It is important, however, to tread carefully around the concept of core groups.
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They trod carefully away, shoulder to shoulder, hip to hip.
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Sadat now feels less restricted about what she can say, although she treads carefully around politics in her homeland.
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Evidence of the erosion is clear along the route and walkers should tread carefully .
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The press learned to tread carefully on the subject of their leaders' health during the Soviet era.
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Supervisors and personnel officers will be instructed to tread carefully when dealing with workers.
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It behooves companies to tread carefully in this area because even seemingly innocuous questions can get them into trouble.
cautiously
▪
She trod cautiously along the street.
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A White House document cautioned political appointees such as Herman to tread cautiously in their political work.
on
▪
She's a tough, single-minded lady who hasn't achieved her present position without treading on more than a few toes.
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Clinton trod on to murky terrain.
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If you hadn't been a doormat you wouldn't have been trodden on - that's what doormats are for.
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The attitude they have towards you is terrible, like you're lower than the dirt they tread on .
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If toes had to be trodden on , too bad.
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Tried not to think what they were treading on .
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Scorpions seldom go out of their way to attack people and accidents usually happen when scorpions are trodden on .
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Scorpions will only sting a person if threatened or if accidentally trodden on .
warily
▪
In fact, it seemed to me that Lisa was aware of a good deal and was treading warily , terrified of alienating anyone.
■ NOUN
angel
▪
Ambition: Will cause you to rush in where angels fear to tread .
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Fools drive where angels fear to tread .
foot
▪
Taking great care where she placed her feet , she trod softly down the stairs.
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Immediately, temples in which no Harijan foot had ever trod were opened to all.
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Danny's filthy fingernails were digging into his neck and his one foot was treading on Henry's toes.
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This occurs prior to the physical techniques of wedging, kneading and foot-treading .
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Suddenly she realised that another pair of hands was piling rugs on and a pair of feet treading them down.
ground
▪
Nor could anyone know that he had reservations; that he didn't feel as we all did, treading that ground .
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They are treading unfamiliar ground in the relegation zone and have failed to keep a clean sheet this season.
line
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Such an approach treads a thin line between the traditional pluralist and Marxist divide in media studies.
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This is indeed treading the fine line between glory and disaster.
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The full report is likely to recommend the curriculum tread a line between principles and content.
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The system of dispute resolution attempts to tread a careful line between consumer and vendor interests.
path
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This is a difficult path to tread , however.
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Power sharing was not an easy path to tread .
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In this respect my Working Group were following the path already trodden by the Swann Committee.
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NetWare SunLink puts Sun on a path already trodden it seems by almost everyone else in the industry.
toe
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I danced rigidly with Giacomo, kicking his shins and treading on his toes .
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She has a sharp cutting edge and woe betide the Europhile who treads on her toes .
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Danny's filthy fingernails were digging into his neck and his one foot was treading on Henry's toes .
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But I don't want us to tread on each other's toes .
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Don't know the rules, don't want to tread on any toes .
■ VERB
fear
▪
Ambition: Will cause you to rush in where angels fear to tread .
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Fools drive where angels fear to tread .
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Politicians rushed in where philosophers have feared to tread .
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Smaller governments rush in where feds fear to tread .
PHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
be (walking/treading/skating) on thin ice
▪
He was on thin ice before.
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It had been granted grudgingly and she knew she was on thin ice as far as her superiors were concerned.
fools rush in (where angels fear to tread)
tread on sb's toes
▪
But I don't want us to tread on each other's toes .
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Danny's filthy fingernails were digging into his neck and his one foot was treading on Henry's toes .
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Don't know the rules, don't want to tread on any toes .
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I danced rigidly with Giacomo, kicking his shins and treading on his toes .
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She has a sharp cutting edge and woe betide the Europhile who treads on her toes .
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
▪
We trod carefully over the icy cobblestones.
EXAMPLES FROM CORPUS
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Anyway the moment I trod the stage I felt completely at home.
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Censorship was not legally defined so the opposition movement had to tread carefully.
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Fools drive where angels fear to tread .
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This is indeed treading the fine line between glory and disaster.
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To examine the work, viewers must decide whether to tread on a flag laid neatly on the floor before it.
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We've made the effort, we've seen the airport, we've nearly got trodden on dozens of times.
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When I get to the pool I am both delighted and relieved to see Winston treading water.
II. noun
COLLOCATIONS FROM CORPUS
■ ADJECTIVE
heavy
▪
As if in answer to her wish she heard a heavy , masculine tread on the uncarpeted stairs outside her door.
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She patrolled the aisles like a gaoler and woe betide you if that heavy tread stopped at your desk.
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Then after about an hour I heard the familiar heavy tread of Dad's boots on the cobbles.
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This is especially true where dust and grime collects and in heavy tread areas like the hall, stairs and landing.
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Dressed for the city, he kisses the Yorkies on the head and climbs into a jeep with heavy tread tyres.
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I was deep in such thoughts when I heard Mum's unmistakable heavy tread coming towards the door.
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Then the heavy tread of feet down the passage.
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Caro waited in the kitchen till she heard Bryony's heavy tread going from the bathroom to her bedroom.
■ VERB
hear
▪
He had taken only a few hasty steps when he heard the tread of feet on the wooden steps above his head.
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Then after about an hour I heard the familiar heavy tread of Dad's boots on the cobbles.
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Caro waited in the kitchen till she heard Bryony's heavy tread going from the bathroom to her bedroom.
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She heard Adam's heavy tread moving down the hall, and slowed a little, her heart shrinking within her.
EXAMPLES FROM CORPUS
▪
As if in answer to her wish she heard a heavy, masculine tread on the uncarpeted stairs outside her door.
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His bare feet could identify all the frayed patches on the long ribbon of carpet and each worn tread on the stairs.
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It was with relief that I heard Sherlock Holmes's familiar tread upon the stairs.
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Stairs of dark wood curved up from the hall, and the old treads creaked under their combined weight.
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Suddenly there came the sound of the tread of the patriarch.
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The outside of the shoe was constructed from woven fabric and metal with a ribbed silicon rubber tread .
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The tyre tread does not protrude beyond the wheel arch, but the side wall does noticeably.