tailgate party

noun

|Updated on: 19 Jun 2018

Definition of tailgate party

: 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 a football game or concert)

See tailgate party defined for English-language learners

Recent Examples of tailgate party from the Web

Locally-owned by Strongsville native Becky Zielinski, Stitch N Switch is known in the Northeast Ohio area through its online store and active participation in home-team tailgate parties at local downtown venues.

— shirley macfarland, cleveland.com, "Recycle outdated sports jerseys with Stitch N Switch sew-on-the-go replacement nameplates: Strong Points," 4 May 2018
Kansas football fans can already start their preparations for some breakfast tailgate parties next season.

— jesse newell, kansascity, "KU football releases four kickoff times, including early Black Friday start vs. Texas," 31 May 2018
The tailgate party — hosted by the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee, which are to get 100% of the proceeds from the event — will have food, giveaways, and autograph and Q&A sessions.

— chris foran, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Milwaukee Beer Week, Packers Tailgate Tour and more things to do in Milwaukee this weekend," 12 Apr. 2018
Expect temps to start around the 40s as the sun rises and tailgate parties fire up downtown.

— detroit free press staff, Detroit Free Press, "Detroit Tigers' Opening Day 2018: Everything you need to know," 28 Mar. 2018
The folks at British insurance-shopping website GoCompare have created a list of the movies' most iconic, popular and frequently seen cars that’ll stir things up the next time conversation stalls at anything from a family dinner to a tailgate party.

— mark phelan, USA TODAY, "Ford Mustang vs. Chevy Camaro: Which is bigger at the box office?," 17 May 2018
The tailgate party, featuring live entertainment, food trucks and San Diego sports icons, will begin at 2 p.m., with Tailgate Lot outside Petco Park opening at noon.

— dennis lin, sandiegouniontribune.com, "After hot start, rookie Allen Cordoba adjusting to view from bench," 18 Aug. 2017
The backstory: Walking around the Browns tailgate party on draft night in a downtown Cleveland parking lot, my eyes kept going to the endless parade of Browns jerseys.

— peter king, SI.com, "2018 Draft: Magnets, Mayfield and the Browns’ Big Secret," 30 Apr. 2018
There wasn’t a hint of trouble outside the stadium, where fans launched their tailgate parties hours before the gates opened.

— bruce jenkins, San Francisco Chronicle, "Watch for free: A fun night in Oakland," 17 Apr. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'tailgate party.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of tailgate party

1958

in the meaning defined above

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Definition of tailgate party

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