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
At the end of a long, emotional week, USC’s men’s basketball staff emerged one by one from the Galen Center tunnel just before tip-off Tuesday, relieved as ever to be back home. Ryan Kartje, Los Angeles Times, 15 Jan. 2025 By tip-off time, the veteran guard had been downgraded to questionable and eventually out altogether vs. Philadelphia. Jason Beede, Orlando Sentinel, 13 Jan. 2025 From the tip-off in Rabat, Morocco, all the way to the finals in Pretoria, South Africa, the league has the power to ignite the passions of countless sports fans. Sindiswa Mabunda, Forbes, 12 Jan. 2025 All About Ben Felter's Relationship With the WNBA Star Brink heads down to Miami for Unrivaled this month ahead of tip-off on Jan. 17, sharing that Felter may join her in Florida for a portion of the professional women's basketball league's inaugural season. Skyler Caruso, People.com, 3 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 22 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

More from Merriam-Webster on tip-off

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!