falter vs tiptoe

falter

verb
  • To stammer; to utter with hesitation, or in a weak and trembling manner. 

  • To fail in distinctness or regularity of exercise; said of the mind or of thought. 

  • To hesitate in purpose or action. 

  • To cleanse or sift, as barley. 

  • To waver or be unsteady; to weaken or trail off. 

  • To stumble. 

  • To lose faith or vigor; to doubt or abandon (a cause). 

noun
  • An unsteadiness. 

tiptoe

verb
  • To walk quietly with only the tips of the toes touching the ground. 

noun
  • The tip of the toe. 

adj
  • Standing elevated, on or as if on the tips of one's toes. 

  • Moving carefully, quietly, warily or stealthily, on or as if on the tips of one's toes. 

How often have the words falter and tiptoe occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )