: the act or an instance of putting the ball in play in basketball by a jump ball
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
Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 2 Sep. 2025
Her exact shoes were the Ugg Coquette Slippers — the chestnut color and lugged soles are typical tip-offs of the brand.
—Alyssa Grabinski, People.com, 19 Aug. 2025
This growing parity ensures an electrifying tournament filled with unexpected twists, upsets, and edge-of-the-seat moments from the opening tip-off to the final buzzer.
—Sindiswa Mabunda, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2025
The rematch — a 100-93 Lynx victory — unfortunately lost its luster way before tip-off with the Liberty severely shorthanded: Breanna Stewart (knee), Kennedy Burke (calf) and Nyara Sabally (knee discomfort) all were unavailable for the matchup.
—Fiifi Frimpong, New York Daily News, 31 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for tip-off
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.
Noun
Hazard on open waters The tip-off came from the Marine Corps and the Smögen Sea Rescue Company, who warned that the object appeared big enough to pose a hazard to shipping.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 2 Sep. 2025
Her exact shoes were the Ugg Coquette Slippers — the chestnut color and lugged soles are typical tip-offs of the brand.
—Alyssa Grabinski, People.com, 19 Aug. 2025
This growing parity ensures an electrifying tournament filled with unexpected twists, upsets, and edge-of-the-seat moments from the opening tip-off to the final buzzer.
—Sindiswa Mabunda, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2025
The rematch — a 100-93 Lynx victory — unfortunately lost its luster way before tip-off with the Liberty severely shorthanded: Breanna Stewart (knee), Kennedy Burke (calf) and Nyara Sabally (knee discomfort) all were unavailable for the matchup.
—Fiifi Frimpong, New York Daily News, 31 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for tip-off
Cite this Entry
“Tip-off.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tip-off. Accessed 8 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share