tip-off

1 of 2

noun (1)

1
2
: a telltale sign

tip-off

2 of 2

noun (2)

: the act or an instance of putting the ball in play in basketball by a jump ball

Examples of tip-off in a Sentence

Noun (1) the retreat of the island's wildlife to higher ground was a tip-off that a tsunami was about to strike
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Missouri jumped out to a 12-0 lead right from the opening tip-off and impressively maintained that edge for the entire 40 minutes. Jim Root, The Athletic, 19 Feb. 2025 When making their way to their seats ahead of tip-off, the NBA W.A.G. met up with the athlete's younger sister, Erica, before the game began. Skyler Caruso, People.com, 17 Feb. 2025 Hours before tip-off the NCAA Tournament selection committee released its top-16 seeds and TCU (24-3, 12-2) was slotted No. 9 meaning, the committee right now has the Horned Frogs as a No. 3 seed. Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 16 Feb. 2025 The Broncos struggled with turnovers from the tip-off but stayed in the game by forcing similar issues out of the Aztecs. Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 16 Feb. 2025 See all Example Sentences for tip-off 

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

tip entry 8

Noun (2)

tip entry 5

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1901, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (2)

1922, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of tip-off was in 1901

Dictionary Entries Near tip-off

Cite this Entry

“Tip-off.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tip-off. Accessed 24 Feb. 2025.

Kids Definition

tip-off

1 of 2 noun
ˈtip-ˌȯf
1
: a warning that something is going to happen
2
: a telltale sign

tip-off

2 of 2 noun
: the start of a basketball game when the ball is thrown in the air and a player from each team jumps up and tries to get the ball

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