tread (or chiefly North Americanstep) on someone's toes
offend someone by encroaching on their area of responsibility:I have no wish to tread on the toes of colleagues with local interests
tread water
maintain an upright position in deep water by moving the feet with a walking movement and the hands with a downward circular motion:they were at the deep end of the pool and trod water to keep afloat
fail to make progress:men who are treading water in their careers