Meanings
verbkeep someone on their toes (third-person singular simple present keeps someone on their toes, present participle keeping someone on their toes, simple past and past participle kept someone on their toes)
present singular third person keeps someone on their toes · participle present keeping someone on their toes · participle past kept someone on their toes · past kept someone on their toes
Translations
Finnish pitää varpaillaan
- pitää varpaillaanto keep one attentive, active, busy or alert
German auf Trab halten
- auf Trab haltento keep one attentive, active, busy or alert
Polish trzymać w gotowości
- trzymać w gotowościto keep one attentive, active, busy or alert
Spanish mantenerlo de puntillas
- mantenerlo de puntillasto keep one attentive, active, busy or alert
Cite this entry
APA
keep someone on their toes. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/keep%20someone%20on%20their%20toes
MLA
“keep someone on their toes.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/keep%20someone%20on%20their%20toes. Accessed November 5, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “keep someone on their toes,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/keep%20someone%20on%20their%20toes.
Source: keep someone on their toes on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.