tee off

verb

teed off; teeing off; tees off

intransitive verb

1

: to drive from a tee

2

: begin, start

3

: to hit hard

4

: to make an angry denunciation

—often used with on

Examples of tee off in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Seven months before the best golfers in the world tee off at Fields Ranch East for the 2027 PGA Championship, some of the best college golfers made their way to PGA Frisco to try the course out themselves. — Johnny Resendiz, CBS News, 16 Sep. 2026

With his former team up 3-2 with one out, Alonso did what he’s always done at Citi Field, teeing off on an opposing pitcher and driving a ball over the fence. — Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 15 Sep. 2026

Think about if that initiative would be better served as a way to tee off in January. — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2026

Set on a bluff slightly inland from Lake Muskoka itself, the resort allows players to tee off against a backdrop of incredible views. — Maryam Siddiqi, Travel + Leisure, 30 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1895, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for tee off

• ashraf
• checkoff
• cutoff
• falloff
• handoff
• kickoff
• layoff
• liftoff
• markoff
• markov
• payoff
• playoff

Kids Definition

tee off

verb

1

: to hit a golf ball from a tee in starting play on a hole

2

: begin sense 1, start