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 senior guard became Maryland women’s basketball’s first player to eclipse 1,500 career points, 500 assists and 500 rebounds earlier this season and was honored in the moments before tip-off Sunday to a standing ovation. Taylor Lyons, Baltimore Sun, 2 Mar. 2025 Parking lots were packed, and minutes after tip-off, hundreds of fans were still in line outside the arena waiting to get inside. Steve Gorten, Miami Herald, 26 Feb. 2025 Language is unusual: Because scammers may be non-native English speakers, poor grammar or unusual language can also be a tip-off of someone taking on a fake identity. Rachel Hale, USA TODAY, 25 Feb. 2025 The final week of the regular season includes a pair of contests at Gampel Pavilion, where No. 21 Marquette will visit on March 5 and Seton Hall on March 8 – that game scheduled to tip-off at 2:30 p.m. on FOX, the league announced Monday. Joe Arruda, Hartford Courant, 24 Feb. 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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Tip-off.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tip-off. Accessed 8 Mar. 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!