tripled; tripling
ˈtri-p(ə-)liŋ 
1
: to make three times as great or as many
2
a
: to score (a base runner) by a triple
b
: to bring about the scoring of (a run) by a triple
1
: to become three times as great or as numerous
their profits tripled last year
2
: to make a triple in baseball
1
a
: a triple sum, quantity, or number
b
: a combination, group, or series of three
2
: a base hit that allows the batter to reach third base safely
3
1
: being three times as great or as many
2
: having or involving three units or members
triple bypass heart surgery
3
: having a threefold relation or character
worked as a double or even triple agent—
Time
Time4
a
: three times repeated : treble
b
: having three full revolutions
a triple somersault
a triple lutz
5
: marked by three beats per musical measure
triple meter
6
a
: having units of three components
triple feet
b
of rhyme
: involving correspondence of three syllables (as in unfortunate-importunate)
Synonyms
Examples of triple in a Sentence
Verb
He tripled his winnings at the track.
The town's population has tripled in size.
He tripled to right field.
Noun
that triple of terrors for the wintertime driver: snow, ice, and sleet
Adjective
She got a new job with triple the salary of her old one.
He ordered a triple espresso.
See More
Recent Examples on the WebAmanda Hoover, WIRED, 20 Nov. 2023
One thing that went almost unreported amidst Biden and Xi's summit is that Xi tripled down on his threats to Taiwan.
—CBS News, 19 Nov. 2023
Advertisement But the takeover is also supposed to be a financial win for the city — primarily because a new state law tripled Medicare and Medi-Cal reimbursement rates for government agencies compared to private providers.
—David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Nov. 2023
Doctors say that the number of patients with breathing problems, coughs, or watery and irritated eyes has tripled.
—Sameer Yasir, New York Times, 12 Nov. 2023
Another study from the same year found that U.S. adult peanut allergies have more than tripled over the past two decades, though the reasons for this trend are unclear.
—Katie Mogg, NBC News, 9 Nov. 2023
Google apparently expected that if iPhone users were given a choice, Chrome usage on iPhones would triple.
—Ashley Belanger, Ars Technica, 27 Oct. 2023
By age 1, most babies will have tripled their birth weight and grown 10 inches.
—Elizabeth Florio, Parents, 24 Oct. 2023
Hannah said this was a business decision reflecting Arkansas' climate; since then, coinciding with increasingly hot summers, management has more than tripled the number of water attractions.
—Aaron Gettinger, Arkansas Online, 21 Oct. 2023
John Maffei, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Oct. 2023
Freese delivered a two-run triple, tying the score and sending the game into extra innings.
—Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times, 26 Oct. 2023
Nico Hoerner has 26 doubles, four triples, nine home runs and 64 RBI while hitting .287 for the Cubs.
—Creg Stephenson | Cstephenson@al.com, al, 17 Sep. 2023
One account belonging to the al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of the Hamas movement, has seen its following triple, and there has been a ten-fold increase in the number of views of videos and other content posted by the account.
—Donie O'Sullivan, CNN, 16 Oct. 2023
The Orioles couldn’t return the favor with a late swing of their own, stranding Gunnar Henderson after his two-out triple in the ninth.
—Nathan Ruiz, Baltimore Sun, 13 Sep. 2023
In a break between pitches, the Reds’ rookie shortstop, Elly De La Cruz—a phenom who’d hit a towering three-run homer and a three-run triple in the opening game, after Ohtani left the mound—walks over to Ohtani and playfully pokes him in the arm several times, as if to confirm that Ohtani is real.
—Louisa Thomas, The New Yorker, 23 Sep. 2023
Matt Vierling has 17 doubles, three triples and nine home runs for the Tigers.
—Creg Stephenson | Cstephenson@al.com, al, 19 Sep. 2023
McKinstry ripped a down-and-in four-seam fastball from right-hander Luis Severino for a triple with two outs in the third inning.
—Evan Petzold, Detroit Free Press, 29 Aug. 2023
Howard Walker, Robb Report, 17 Nov. 2023
This man scores one triple double with his friends.
—Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 15 Nov. 2023
Spread across three LPs and a triple gatefold jacket, the reissue has the original album spread across two slabs of vinyl instead of the original one for higher fidelity, then tags on a bonus LP wih alternate versions of key tracks on one side and a few very loose studio jam sessions on the flip.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 24 Nov. 2023
Ranjith Varma of Manassas, Va., became unresponsive on the North Kaibab Trail on Sept. 12, when temperatures in the area were nearing triple digits.
—Alexandra E. Petri, Los Angeles Times, 20 Nov. 2023
In July, a 57-year-old woman died while trying to complete an eight-mile hike as temperatures in the Grand Canyon reached triple digits.
—Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 20 Nov. 2023
In a national semifinal game played in Kansas City, Mo., Green had 11 points and 19 rebounds as the Spartans lost to unbeaten North Carolina, 74-70, in triple overtime.
—Richard Goldstein, New York Times, 16 Nov. 2023
This adorable kit from Welly features 18 bandages, three triple antibiotic ointment packets, and three hand sanitizer packets for all of your first aid needs.
—Samantha Leal, Travel + Leisure, 5 Nov. 2023
More than 10,000 Amazon shoppers purchase this large-room air purifier this month, and Prime subscribers can snag it with triple discounts at the moment.
—Clara McMahon, Peoplemag, 11 Nov. 2023
See More
Verb
Jauregui says that has nearly tripled their business.
—Amanda Hoover, WIRED, 20 Nov. 2023
One thing that went almost unreported amidst Biden and Xi's summit is that Xi tripled down on his threats to Taiwan.
—CBS News, 19 Nov. 2023
Advertisement But the takeover is also supposed to be a financial win for the city — primarily because a new state law tripled Medicare and Medi-Cal reimbursement rates for government agencies compared to private providers.
—David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Nov. 2023
Doctors say that the number of patients with breathing problems, coughs, or watery and irritated eyes has tripled.
—Sameer Yasir, New York Times, 12 Nov. 2023
Another study from the same year found that U.S. adult peanut allergies have more than tripled over the past two decades, though the reasons for this trend are unclear.
—Katie Mogg, NBC News, 9 Nov. 2023
Google apparently expected that if iPhone users were given a choice, Chrome usage on iPhones would triple.
—Ashley Belanger, Ars Technica, 27 Oct. 2023
By age 1, most babies will have tripled their birth weight and grown 10 inches.
—Elizabeth Florio, Parents, 24 Oct. 2023
Hannah said this was a business decision reflecting Arkansas' climate; since then, coinciding with increasingly hot summers, management has more than tripled the number of water attractions.
—Aaron Gettinger, Arkansas Online, 21 Oct. 2023
Noun
Fermin Velarde collected a kicking triple — blocking a punt, PAT and FG attempt as well as recovering a fumble.
—John Maffei, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Oct. 2023
Freese delivered a two-run triple, tying the score and sending the game into extra innings.
—Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times, 26 Oct. 2023
Nico Hoerner has 26 doubles, four triples, nine home runs and 64 RBI while hitting .287 for the Cubs.
—Creg Stephenson | Cstephenson@al.com, al, 17 Sep. 2023
One account belonging to the al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of the Hamas movement, has seen its following triple, and there has been a ten-fold increase in the number of views of videos and other content posted by the account.
—Donie O'Sullivan, CNN, 16 Oct. 2023
The Orioles couldn’t return the favor with a late swing of their own, stranding Gunnar Henderson after his two-out triple in the ninth.
—Nathan Ruiz, Baltimore Sun, 13 Sep. 2023
In a break between pitches, the Reds’ rookie shortstop, Elly De La Cruz—a phenom who’d hit a towering three-run homer and a three-run triple in the opening game, after Ohtani left the mound—walks over to Ohtani and playfully pokes him in the arm several times, as if to confirm that Ohtani is real.
—Louisa Thomas, The New Yorker, 23 Sep. 2023
Matt Vierling has 17 doubles, three triples and nine home runs for the Tigers.
—Creg Stephenson | Cstephenson@al.com, al, 19 Sep. 2023
McKinstry ripped a down-and-in four-seam fastball from right-hander Luis Severino for a triple with two outs in the third inning.
—Evan Petzold, Detroit Free Press, 29 Aug. 2023
Adjective
If a 40 mph top end isn’t enough, a prospective owner could always choose triple 2,600 hp MTU diesels.
—Howard Walker, Robb Report, 17 Nov. 2023
This man scores one triple double with his friends.
—Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 15 Nov. 2023
Spread across three LPs and a triple gatefold jacket, the reissue has the original album spread across two slabs of vinyl instead of the original one for higher fidelity, then tags on a bonus LP wih alternate versions of key tracks on one side and a few very loose studio jam sessions on the flip.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 24 Nov. 2023
Ranjith Varma of Manassas, Va., became unresponsive on the North Kaibab Trail on Sept. 12, when temperatures in the area were nearing triple digits.
—Alexandra E. Petri, Los Angeles Times, 20 Nov. 2023
In July, a 57-year-old woman died while trying to complete an eight-mile hike as temperatures in the Grand Canyon reached triple digits.
—Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 20 Nov. 2023
In a national semifinal game played in Kansas City, Mo., Green had 11 points and 19 rebounds as the Spartans lost to unbeaten North Carolina, 74-70, in triple overtime.
—Richard Goldstein, New York Times, 16 Nov. 2023
This adorable kit from Welly features 18 bandages, three triple antibiotic ointment packets, and three hand sanitizer packets for all of your first aid needs.
—Samantha Leal, Travel + Leisure, 5 Nov. 2023
More than 10,000 Amazon shoppers purchase this large-room air purifier this month, and Prime subscribers can snag it with triple discounts at the moment.
—Clara McMahon, Peoplemag, 11 Nov. 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'triple.' 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
Middle English (Scots), from Late Latin triplare, from Latin triplus, adjective
Noun
Middle English, from Latin triplus, adjective
Adjective
Middle English, from Latin triplus, from tri- + -plus multiplied by — more at -fold
First Known Use
Verb
14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1
Noun
15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Adjective
15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Time Traveler
The first known use of triple was
in the 14th century
Phrases Containing triple
Dictionary Entries Near triple
Cite this Entry
“Triple.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/triple. Accessed 4 Dec. 2023.
Copy Citation
Kids Definition
triple
1 of 3 verb
tri·ple
ˈtrip-əl
tripled; tripling
ˈtrip-(ə-)liŋ
1
: to make or become three times as great or as many : multiply by three
their profits tripled last year
2
: to make a triple in baseball
triple
2 of 3 noun1
a
: a triple sum, quantity, or number
b
: a combination, group, or series of three
2
: a hit in baseball that permits a batter to reach third base safely
triple
3 of 3 adjective1
: being three times as great or as many
2
: having three units or parts
3
a
: three times repeated
b
: having three full revolutions
a triple somersault
More from Merriam-Webster on triple
Nglish: Translation of triple for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of triple for Arabic Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about triple
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share