triple

1 of 3

verb

tri·​ple ˈtri-pəl How to pronounce triple (audio)
tripled; tripling ˈtri-p(ə-)liŋ How to pronounce triple (audio)

transitive verb

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

intransitive verb

1
: to become three times as great or as numerous
their profits tripled last year
2
: to make a triple in baseball

triple

2 of 3

noun

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

triple

3 of 3

adjective

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 agentTime
4
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)

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.
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
There are about 12 Amish communities in Virginia, according to the Amish America blog, which also noted that the population has been growing rapidly — tripling in the last decade or so. Sophie Carson, Journal Sentinel, 10 Mar. 2024 The number of users industry-wide canceling their streaming services has nearly tripled since 2019. Bychris Morris, Fortune, 5 Mar. 2024 The company’s share price has more than tripled so far this year. Daniel Gilbert, Washington Post, 27 Feb. 2024 The split resulted in existing investors’ shares tripling as the price per share was cut by two-thirds, keeping Walmart’s total shareholder equity the same while cutting its stock price from $175.56 to $58.52 as of Friday’s closing share price. Derek Saul, Forbes, 26 Feb. 2024 The Asian contingent in Dublin has roughly tripled in the past decade, accounting today for 54 percent of the population. John Metcalfe, The Mercury News, 26 Feb. 2024 In 2016, 50 Black women had VBACs at home, and that number more than tripled in 2022 to 153. Elizabeth Cohen, STAT, 23 Feb. 2024 Key Facts Global obesity rates among adult women more than doubled between 1990 and 2022, while rates among adult men tripled, according to a study published Thursday in the Lancet; childhood obesity rates were four times higher in 2022 compared to 1990. Arianna Johnson, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024 This year, demand for her company’s most luxurious amenities has tripled when compared with 2023. Tori Latham, Robb Report, 29 Feb. 2024
Noun
With the two squads battling hard down the stretch, All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell scored two clutch triples inside the final two minutes of the game to give the Cavs a 118-115 lead with 30 seconds left. Sam Joseph, CNN, 28 Feb. 2024 In 145 pro games since being the No. 1 overall choice n 2022, the left-handed hitter has a .320 average with 127 runs, 13 homers, 35 doubles, 9 triples, 84 RBI and 28 steals. Chuck Murr, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2024 After his fifth triple, Thompson skipped to the baseline and screamed to a raucous Chase Center crowd. Danny Emerman, The Mercury News, 25 Feb. 2024 Jesse Beer threw a perfect six innings with nine strikeouts, retiring all 18 batters in order. Servite 6, Aliso Niguel 2: Hayden Woodson had a two-run triple in the first inning for the 4-0 Friars. Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 24 Feb. 2024 The Trojans moved their feet and got their bodies in front of drives, rotating seamlessly, forcing Utah shooters into tough midrange jumpers or contested triples with no other option available. Luca Evans, Orange County Register, 16 Feb. 2024 Minnesota was crisp offensively, shooting 55 percent from the field while knocking down 21 triples. Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 9 Feb. 2024 Four Bluejays have at least 27 triples this season and second year forward Mason Miller leads the way at 47.6% (30-of-63). Shelby Dermer, The Enquirer, 21 Jan. 2024 Davis-Woodhall had a stellar career at Agoura High, capped with a victorious triple in the girls’ 100-meter hurdles, long jumpand triple jump in the 2017 state championships. John Ortega, Los Angeles Times, 3 Mar. 2024
Adjective
Because the suit included accusations of antitrust violations, plaintiffs could have been eligible for triple damages of up to $5.4 billion. Debra Kamin, New York Times, 15 Mar. 2024 New rules for cable and satellite-TV providers means the companies need to clearly show total costs for video subscriptions, including extraneous fees that can add up to triple digits a year, the Federal Communications Commission announced on Thursday. Kate Gibson, CBS News, 14 Mar. 2024 Methane emissions from the energy industry are triple what the government thinks, a study finds. Anthony De Leon, Los Angeles Times, 14 Mar. 2024 On to the nominees: Alonzo Alvarez, Heritage baseball: Went 2 for 4 with a triple and three RBIs as Heritage defeated Burlingame 8-0. Darren Sabedra, The Mercury News, 11 Mar. 2024 Support for nuclear power has only slowly recovered 13 years after a tsunami triggered the triple meltdown at Japan’s Fukushima Dai-Ichi atomic plant, which is still laden with tens of billions of dollars in clean-up costs. Jonathan Tirone, Bloomberg.com, 8 Mar. 2024 Deanna Barch, who studies the neurobiology of mental illnesses at Washington University in St. Louis, is intrigued by the triple network theory. Nora Bradford, WIRED, 3 Mar. 2024 One follower is Lebanon, Indiana, a town within the path of totality that hopes a marketing spend of $125,000 will double or triple its population of 17,000 on April 8 and could generate $1.2-$1.5 million in economic impact. Jamie Carter, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024 Charlotte had two weeks to prepare for Navy’s triple option last season, as well. Hunter Bailey, Charlotte Observer, 29 Feb. 2024

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

Dictionary Entries Near triple

Cite this Entry

“Triple.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/triple. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

triple

1 of 3 verb
tri·​ple ˈtrip-əl How to pronounce triple (audio)
tripled; tripling ˈtrip-(ə-)liŋ How to pronounce triple (audio)
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 noun
1
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 adjective
1
: 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

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