tilt

1 of 4

verb (1)

tilted; tilting; tilts

transitive verb

1
: to cause to have an inclination
2
a
: to point or thrust in or as if in a tilt
tilt a lance
b
: to charge against
tilt an adversary

intransitive verb

1
a
: to move or shift so as to lean or incline : slant
b
: to incline, tend, or become drawn toward an opinion, course of action, or one side of a controversy
2
a
: to engage in a combat with lances : joust
b
: to make an impetuous attack
tilt at social evils
tiltable adjective
tilter noun

tilt

2 of 4

noun (1)

1
a
: the act of tilting : the state or position of being tilted
b
: a sloping surface
c
: slant, bias
a tilt toward military involvement
2
3
: any of various contests resembling or suggesting tilting with lances
4
a
: a contest on horseback in which two combatants charging with lances or similar weapons try to unhorse each other : joust
b
: a tournament of tilts
tilt adjective

tilt

3 of 4

noun (2)

: a canopy for a wagon, boat, or stall

tilt

4 of 4

verb (2)

tilted; tilting; tilts

transitive verb

: to cover or provide with a tilt

Examples of tilt in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
What had been a UCLA runaway was suddenly tilting heavily in the other direction as Marquette took a 50-45 lead before Bruins freshman guard Ilane Fibleuil buried a three-pointer. Ben Bolch, Los Angeles Times, 21 Nov. 2023 People whose spending tilts more heavily toward dining or travel might be able to earn greater rewards with one of our other cash back card picks, such as the Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card, which offers 3% cash back on dining and grocery store purchases. Martha C. White, wsj.com, 17 Nov. 2023 The photo is tilted upward and shows the complicated base construction work for the walls and roofing of one of the rooms, along with large sliding doors already built in. Kimberlee Speakman, Peoplemag, 17 Nov. 2023 Rather than tilting toward differentiation, the culture could become a void. Anna Wiener, The New Yorker, 13 Nov. 2023 Court rulings interpreting this law have often tilted in favor of insurers. T. Christian Miller, ProPublica, 7 Nov. 2023 But there is not so much space as to cause stress for a certain homeowner who already tilts toward the anxious. Joanne Kaufman, New York Times, 24 Oct. 2023 The most significant change is the addition of a tiltable display, a first for Leica, which pleasingly lifts off the back of the camera and tilts with reassuringly smooth and sturdy action, and gives photographers new opportunities for shooting when not using the viewfinder. Robb Rice, Robb Report, 24 Oct. 2023 Recent flows of money into what are now known as alternative-asset managers have often tilted toward alternative forms of lending and away from classic private-equity buyouts. Telis Demos, WSJ, 10 Nov. 2023
Noun
However, there are several cheesy cliches and tearful moments levied on Sawai, which tilt into melodrama. Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 17 Nov. 2023 Remove skillet from oven; tilt skillet in all directions to coat bottom. Southern Living Test Kitchen, Southern Living, 12 Nov. 2023 Other units have tilt sensors that shut off before the heater falls. Andrew Waite, Field & Stream, 1 Nov. 2023 And while that might seem weird enough, the tilt itself may be evidence of the Milky Way’s violent past. WIRED, 12 Nov. 2023 France, where about half of the Ariane 6 rocket is built, tilts in favor of keeping ArianeGroup on solid footing. Stephen Clark, Ars Technica, 7 Nov. 2023 Next up: The Timbers return home for a midweek tilt with the San Jose Earthquakes. oregonlive, 18 Sep. 2023 The 360-degree tilt and swivel capabilities give flexibility for watching over your pet, though with no motion control, this needs to be adjusted before leaving your home. Lauren Breedlove, Travel + Leisure, 26 Oct. 2023 Modeling studies suggest that Jupiter’s not-so-gentle gravitational tug causes Mars’s axis to wobble between a 15-degree tilt and a more extreme 35 degrees. Shi En Kim, Smithsonian Magazine, 18 Oct. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'tilt.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb (1) and Noun (1)

Middle English tulten, tilten to fall over, cause to fall, from Old English *tyltan, *tieltan, akin to Old English tealt unstable, tealtian to totter

Noun (2)

Middle English teld, telte tent, canopy, from Old English teld; akin to Old High German zelt tent

First Known Use

Verb (1)

1594, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun (1)

1507, in the meaning defined at sense 4a

Noun (2)

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Verb (2)

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of tilt was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near tilt

Cite this Entry

“Tilt.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tilt. Accessed 7 Dec. 2023.

Kids Definition

tilt

1 of 2 verb
1
: to move or shift so as to slant or tip
2
: to take part in a contest with lances : joust
tilter noun

tilt

2 of 2 noun
1
: a contest on horseback in which two opponents charging with lances try to unhorse each other : joust
2
: a contest with words between opponents
3
: speed entry 1 sense 1b
at full tilt
4
: the act of tilting : the state or position of being tilted

More from Merriam-Webster on tilt

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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