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 quarterfinals tip-off on Tuesday, featuring eight teams, four from both conferences. Paul Du Quenoy, Newsweek, 10 Dec. 2024 The Huskies will meet No. 7 Gonzaga in their nonconference finale at Madison Square Garden on Saturday, an 8 p.m. tip-off, before beginning Big East play against Xavier next week. Joe Arruda, Hartford Courant, 9 Dec. 2024 Companies could avoid the notification requirement by keeping their products out of New York stores, but that would be a tip-off to watchdog groups like his, Jose said. Karen Kaplan, Los Angeles Times, 4 Dec. 2024 In hindsight, calling their last album Memento Mori should’ve been a tip-off. Devon Ivie, Vulture, 4 Dec. 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 21 Dec. 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

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