1
: the start of a race or an attack
2
: a jumping competition to break a tie at the end of regular competition (as in a horse show)
Examples of jump-off in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
At the end of Friday’s preliminary competition, Hernandez and five other high jump contenders sprawled on their stomachs beneath the high jump tent, cheering on West Ranch junior Avery Prestridge and La Jolla junior Anastasia Volkov in a jump-off for the final qualifying spot.
—
Marisa Ingemi, Los Angeles Times, 1 June 2026
Whoever jumped clear in the first two rounds progressed to the jump-off against the clock.
—The Athletic Staff, New York Times, 24 May 2026
The deal with accountancy firm Oury Clark saved dozens of jobs and served as a jump-off point for Playhouse to supercharge its production wing.
—Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 6 Aug. 2025
On the challenging course at HITS Del Mar, only three out of a field of 36 horse-and-rider combinations advanced to the final jump-off.
—Karen Billing, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 May 2025
Days later, the stadium witnessed wild moments from the men’s high jump, which featured a jump-off between the U.S.’s Shelby McEwen and Hamish Kerr.
—Cory Mull, Forbes, 19 Dec. 2024
The flagpole was the meeting point for protests; the trees were the party jump-off.
—Jazmine Hughes, The New Yorker, 21 Oct. 2024
The two friends shared an emotional hug upon their decision to each take home a gold rather than move into a jump-off to determine a winner.
—Tanisha Bhat, Peoplemag, 1 July 2024
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.
Marisa Ingemi, Los Angeles Times, 1 June 2026
Whoever jumped clear in the first two rounds progressed to the jump-off against the clock.
—The Athletic Staff, New York Times, 24 May 2026
The deal with accountancy firm Oury Clark saved dozens of jobs and served as a jump-off point for Playhouse to supercharge its production wing.
—Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 6 Aug. 2025
On the challenging course at HITS Del Mar, only three out of a field of 36 horse-and-rider combinations advanced to the final jump-off.
—Karen Billing, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 May 2025
Days later, the stadium witnessed wild moments from the men’s high jump, which featured a jump-off between the U.S.’s Shelby McEwen and Hamish Kerr.
—Cory Mull, Forbes, 19 Dec. 2024
The flagpole was the meeting point for protests; the trees were the party jump-off.
—Jazmine Hughes, The New Yorker, 21 Oct. 2024
The two friends shared an emotional hug upon their decision to each take home a gold rather than move into a jump-off to determine a winner.
—Tanisha Bhat, Peoplemag, 1 July 2024
Cite this Entry
“Jump-off.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/jump-off. Accessed 8 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
