toes away from

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "toes away from" is not a standard expression in written English and may cause confusion.
It could be used in a context where you are describing the position of someone's toes in relation to something else, but it is not commonly used. Example: "Make sure your toes are away from the edge of the cliff to avoid any accidents."

Wiki

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

4 human-written examples

Visitors were asked to point their toes away from a shrine in one corner of the room, in deference to Indian custom.

The New Yorker

The flag on the roof of the building next door is snapping in the strong wind, and I pull my toes away from the edge, before I lose my balance and fall to the street.

TechCrunch

Keep you fingers, hands and toes away from a cat that is in a playful mood.

WikiHow

With your legs stretched out, push your toes away from your body, pull them back towards your body, and then relax.

WikiHow

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

55 human-written examples

It's my favorite moment: I'm one toe away from flight and my body takes over.

The New Yorker

The big toe flexes away from the toes on a flexed foot.

The New York Times

(Maybe Justin's toes turned away from Britney a moment later).

The New York Times - Magazine

On each hind limb, three of the toes face away from the body, whereas two face toward the body; on each forelimb, the pattern is reversed.

Encyclopedia Britannica

I spent a lot of time on my toes, running away from confrontations – until my very last day when a lad called Marvin had a go at me and the worm turned.

Independent

He raced in his socks to the garage, threw his shoes into the garage, ran for the vacuum, vacuumed up the micro-clods, then realized, holy golly, he had thrown his shoes into the garage rather than placing them on the Shoe Sheet as required, toes facing away from the door for ease of donnage later.

The New Yorker

The young man, his hands tied behind his back, shaven-headed, and naked apart from his crown of gold-plated barbed wire and his loin-cloth, now stands at the very edge of the plinth, facing across Trafalgar Square, his toes inches away from an eight-metre drop.

The Guardian - Arts

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When describing physical positions or orientations, be precise. Using "toes away from" is acceptable, but "toes pointed away from" clarifies the intended meaning.

Common error

Avoid ambiguity by explicitly stating what the toes are moving away from. For example, instead of just saying "toes away from", specify "toes away from the edge" to provide a clearer picture.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "toes away from" primarily functions as a prepositional phrase indicating spatial orientation or direction. It describes the position of toes in relation to a specific point or object. Ludwig examples illustrate usage in describing physical positioning or avoidance of something.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

Wiki

50%

News & Media

50%

Science

0%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Formal & Business

0%

Social Media

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "toes away from" functions as a prepositional phrase describing spatial orientation. While grammatically acceptable, it's often clearer to use more explicit alternatives like "toes pointed away from". Ludwig identifies its primary function as providing spatial information, used in neutral contexts. The phrase appears in Wiki and News & Media sources. While understandable, Ludwig AI suggests that using clearer and more common alternatives is generally preferable for improved communication.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

toes pointed away from

Specifies the direction in which the toes are oriented.

toes turned away from

Emphasizes the action of turning the toes.

toes directed away from

Replaces 'pointed' with 'directed', maintaining similar meaning.

feet positioned away from

Focuses on the positioning of the entire foot rather than just the toes.

toes angled away from

Focuses on the angle of the toes in relation to something.

toes averted from

Uses 'averted' to suggest a deliberate turning away.

toes diverging from

Implies a separation or movement away from a central point.

toes distant from

Highlights the physical separation between the toes and something else.

toes not facing

Expresses that the toes are not in a frontal position relative to something else.

avoid stepping on

Shift meaning from pointing toes somewhere to stepping on someone's "toes".

FAQs

How can I use "toes away from" in a sentence?

You can use "toes away from" to describe the position of someone's feet, such as "She positioned her toes away from the shrine in deference to Indian custom".

What is a more common way to say "toes away from"?

More common alternatives include "toes pointed away from" or "feet positioned away from".

Is it grammatically correct to say "toes away from"?

While grammatically understandable, it's more precise and conventional to use phrases like "toes pointed away from".

What's the difference between "toes away from" and "toes facing"?

"Toes away from" describes a direction of movement or position, while "toes facing" indicates the direction the toes are oriented towards.