tip-off

1 of 2

noun (1)

Synonyms of tip-offnext
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

Synonyms of tip-off

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
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Noun
The B’s-Sabres Game 2 will start 30 minutes after the Celts-Sixers Game 2 tip-off and potential Game 5s for each series could also go head-to-head against each other. Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 17 Apr. 2026 Saturday, the proverbial curtains will rise and Ayton will line up for tip-off, the newest postseason chapter of his NBA career. Benjamin Royer, Oc Register, 15 Apr. 2026 No tip-off times, channels, score updates, nothing on TBS, TNT, TruTV, or CBS that even hinted at the fact that the women’s tournament was going on simultaneously with the men’s games. Eric Womack, Hartford Courant, 1 Apr. 2026 But last week the Sheriff’s Office of Brewster County posted a request for information about Xavier Dupont de Ligonnès on its Facebook page, following a tip-off from an investigative news team that he had been seen in the south of the county in 2020, accompanied by a black Labrador. The Week Uk, TheWeek, 31 Mar. 2026 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 24 Apr. 2026.

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

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