tailgate party

noun

: a social gathering in which food and drinks are served at or near the back end of a parked vehicle (such as a pickup truck) that usually occurs in a parking lot before or after a public event (such as a football game or concert)

Examples of tailgate party in a Sentence

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.

Ticket packages sold directly by the NFL start at roughly $6,700 per person and include amenities along with the seat, like access to tailgate parties, meet-and-greets with football stars, and free food and drinks. —

Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 6 Feb. 2025 Watch this video for tips on how to host a budget-friendly tailgate party. —

Cody Godwin, USA TODAY, 30 Jan. 2025 Co-founder Sean Holden tells us a C6 contingent is also hosting a tailgate party in N'awlins. —

Isaac Avilucea, Axios, 30 Jan. 2025 One of the stranger traditions at Bills tailgate parties involves fans leaping from considerable heights — say the roof of an SUV — and doing a belly-flop onto a folding table that doesn’t stand a chance. —

Sam Farmer, Los Angeles Times, 23 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for tailgate party

Word History

First Known Use

1958, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of tailgate party was in 1958

See more words from the same year

Cite this Entry

Style

“Tailgate party.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tailgate%20party. Accessed 16 Feb. 2025.

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