Verb
tread carefully (third-person singular simple present treads carefully, present participle treading carefully, simple past trod carefully, past participle trodden carefully)
(idiomatic) To exercise precaution; to be careful with regards to the situation.
It was all very well, the alethiometer telling her to be truthful, but she knew what would happen if she told the whole truth. She had to tread carefully and just avoid direct lies. Philip Pullman