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
Despite its already historic strides in the sport of women’s basketball, Friday night’s game itself provided a unique brand of excitement from tip-off. C. Isaiah Smalls Ii, Miami Herald, 19 Jan. 2025 Here’s what to know about Unrivaled ahead of its inaugural tip-off: How the league works Unrivaled’s first season will feature six teams playing against one another for two months. Russell Leung, CNBC, 17 Jan. 2025 The Heat officially announced Butler as a starter about 30 minutes before tip-off, and Butler was introduced to mostly cheers from the Kaseya Center crowd, which applauded his first bucket. James Jackson, The Athletic, 17 Jan. 2025 New faces The coaches walked on the floor before tip-off and looked at the officiating crew of Mike Pearson, Rob Kueneman and Galen Davis. Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Jan. 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 30 Jan. 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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