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
The final seconds were ticking away before tip-off, counting down to the start of a new era of USC basketball, when Eric Musselman first emerged from the Galen Center tunnel. Ryan Kartje, Los Angeles Times, 5 Nov. 2024 The influencer, 29, spoke to PEOPLE about some recent highlights in her life and career, including her collaborations with banking app Chime and the NBA, the latter of which featured her in a season tip-off commercial alongside Kelly Rowland. Zoey Lyttle, People.com, 4 Nov. 2024 Since then, the rumour mill has been working non-stop in providing tip-offs to who could replace him, and yet the identity of the eighth 007 actor seemingly remains far from certain. Richard Windsor, The Week Uk, theweek, 30 Oct. 2024 During their tip-off game against the Los Angeles Lakers, Randle seemed a bit hesitant to look for his own shot, only attempting 10 field goals in that game. Mikai Bruce, Forbes, 27 Oct. 2024 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 Nov. 2024.

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

More from Merriam-Webster on tip-off

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