trip

verb
\ ˈtrip How to pronounce trip (audio) \
tripped; tripping

Definition of trip

 (Entry 1 of 2)

intransitive verb

1 : to catch the foot against something so as to stumble
2 : to make a mistake or false step (as in morality or accuracy)
3a : to dance, skip, or caper with light quick steps
b : to walk with light quick steps
4 : to stumble in articulation when speaking
5 : to make a journey
6a : to actuate a mechanism
b : to become operative
7a : to get high on a psychedelic drug (such as LSD) : turn on often used with out
b slang : freak sense 3b

transitive verb

1a : to cause to stumble often used with up
b : to cause to fail : obstruct often used with up
2 : to detect in a misstep, fault, or blunder also : expose usually used with up
3 : to release or operate (a mechanism) especially by releasing a catch or detent trip the fire alarm
4 : to raise (an anchor) from the bottom so as to hang free
5a : to pull (a yard) into a perpendicular position for lowering
b : to hoist (a topmast) far enough to enable the fid to be withdrawn preparatory to housing or lowering
6 archaic : to perform (a dance) lightly or nimbly
trip the light fantastic

trip

noun

Definition of trip (Entry 2 of 2)

b : a single round or tour on a business errand
2a : an intense visionary experience undergone by a person who has taken a psychedelic drug (such as LSD)
b : an exciting or unusual experience the party was a trip
3 : absorption in or obsession with an interest, attitude, or state of mind a guilt trip on a nostalgia trip
4 : a faltering step caused by stumbling
5 : a stroke or catch by which a wrestler is made to lose footing
7 : a quick light step
8a : the action of tripping mechanically
b : a device for tripping a mechanism (such as a catch or detent)

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Examples of trip in a Sentence

Verb He deliberately tried to trip me. The dancers tripped off the stage. Noun They got back from their trip yesterday. a trip around the world He was on an acid trip. an ankle injury caused by a trip
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Recent Examples on the Web: Verb But there are some legal standards that could trip up first-time mail voters. Anthony Man, sun-sentinel.com, "Your guide to voting by mail in Florida — and making sure your ballot gets counted," 11 Aug. 2020 Robert Shapiro, professor of political science at Columbia University, said the payroll tax announcement was a clear effort to trip up Biden by forcing him to defend higher taxes. Rob Crilly, Washington Examiner, "Trump campaign sets 'tax trap' to smoke out Biden," 10 Aug. 2020 Filip Forsberg would trip forward Phil Kessel sending the Coyotes to the power play five seconds into the game. Jack Williams, The Arizona Republic, "Predators' presence in shooting lanes hand Coyotes playoff loss," 5 Aug. 2020 Minutes later, Doncic appeared to nearly trip when an overeager mopper came on to the court too soon during a stoppage in play to swab some sweat near Doncic’s sneaker. Dallas News, "Luka Doncic’s evasion of an ‘evil camera,’ Kristaps Porzingis’ return to form make Mavs’ final scrimmage a success," 29 July 2020 No more stairs to trip on or white shirts to catch red wine. Kelsey Ables, Washington Post, "All these Zoom birthdays and weddings are fine, but will we actually savor the memories?," 10 July 2020 Anyway, shelter-in-place isn’t the best time to trip. Aaron Gilbreath, Longreads, "Down the Rabbit Hole: A Psychedelic Reading List," 29 Apr. 2011 And yet, the President and his senior officials continue to trip over each others words. Oliver Darcy, CNN, "White House struggles to offer consistent message on range of major topics," 23 June 2020 In spite of these efforts (and sometimes because of them, as the many actors trip over one another), frustration abounds. The Economist, "Global firefighting The UN has too much on its plate," 18 June 2020 Recent Examples on the Web: Noun The president is flying into Cleveland where he will be greeted by DeWine, who canceled his Thursday coronavirus briefing to make the trip to Cleveland. cleveland, "Donald Trump says he’s done ‘fantastic’ job on coronavirus in interview with Cleveland radio show," 6 Aug. 2020 Jennifer Soto was also found to have given her sister time off for personal favors, including babysitting and to make a trip to the bank. Cristóbal Reyes, orlandosentinel.com, "Outside review found pattern of misconduct at Osceola clerk’s office," 5 Aug. 2020 Manager Ron Roenicke told Boston reporters that third base coach Carlos Febles had an inconclusive coronavirus test and didn't make the trip as a precaution. Mark Didtler, Star Tribune, "Meadows 2 hits in return from virus, Rays top Red Sox 5-1," 4 Aug. 2020 Oregon State’s belief will be rewarded, as the Idaho star intends to make the trip to Corvallis for a visit as soon as the dead period is over. oregonlive, "Colston Loveland, Idaho’s top 2022 football prospect, receives Oregon State Beavers scholarship offer, plans future visit," 30 July 2020 But this year, amid the novel coronavirus pandemic, Saudi Arabia limited the Hajj pilgrimage, underway Wednesday, to a sliver of its accustomed size, allowing up to 10,000 worshipers who lived in the kingdom to make the trip. Washington Post, "A trickle of Hajj pilgrims, where millions once worshiped," 29 July 2020 In the future, Correa hopes to take the business mobile with a roaming facility, as many customers are still reluctant to leave their homes or can't make the trip. Rachel King, Fortune, "Spa appointments balance safety precautions and soothing therapy as coronavirus lockdowns lift," 11 July 2020 Trump will make the trip despite Florida currently being a coronavirus hotspot with the number of deaths from COVID-19 skyrocketing Thursday, according to the Florida Department of Health. Editors, USA TODAY, "Trump's travels, Nevada's bar closures, Charlie Daniels' funeral: 5 things to know Friday," 11 July 2020 For some reason, the submarine can’t make the trip by water and must travel over land. Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, "Well, That's One Way To Tow a 2,300-Ton Submarine," 8 July 2020

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'trip.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of trip

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 3a

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 5

History and Etymology for trip

Verb

Middle English trippen, from Anglo-French treper, triper, of Germanic origin; akin to Old English treppan to tread — more at trap

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Time Traveler for trip

Time Traveler

The first known use of trip was in the 14th century

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Statistics for trip

Last Updated

21 Aug 2020

Cite this Entry

“Trip.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/trip. Accessed 22 Aug. 2020.

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More Definitions for trip

trip

verb
How to pronounce trip (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of trip

 (Entry 1 of 2)

: to hit your foot against something while you are walking or running so that you fall or almost fall
: to cause (someone who is walking or running) to fall or almost fall
literary : to dance or walk with light, quick steps

trip

noun

English Language Learners Definition of trip (Entry 2 of 2)

: a journey to a place
: a short journey to a store, business, office, etc., for a particular purpose
informal : the experience of strange mental effects (such as seeing things that are not real) that is produced by taking a very powerful drug (such as LSD)

trip

verb
\ ˈtrip How to pronounce trip (audio) \
tripped; tripping

Kids Definition of trip

 (Entry 1 of 2)

1 : to catch the foot against something so as to stumble : cause to stumble
2 : to make or cause to make a mistake Their tricky questions tripped us up.
3 : to move (as in dancing) with light quick steps She tripped lightly around the room.
4 : to release (as a spring) by moving a catch

trip

noun

Kids Definition of trip (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : an instance of traveling from one place to another a trip to Europe
2 : a brief errand having a certain aim or being more or less regular a trip to the dentist
3 : the action of releasing something mechanically
4 : a device for releasing something by tripping a mechanism

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More from Merriam-Webster on trip

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for trip

Spanish Central: Translation of trip

Nglish: Translation of trip for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of trip for Arabic Speakers

Comments on trip

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