tilt

1 of 4

verb (1)

tilted; tilting; tilts

transitive verb

1
: to cause to have an inclination
2
a
: to point or thrust in or as if in a tilt
tilt a lance
b
: to charge against
tilt an adversary

intransitive verb

1
a
: to move or shift so as to lean or incline : slant
b
: to incline, tend, or become drawn toward an opinion, course of action, or one side of a controversy
2
a
: to engage in a combat with lances : joust
b
: to make an impetuous attack
tilt at social evils
tiltable adjective
tilter noun

tilt

2 of 4

noun (1)

1
a
: the act of tilting : the state or position of being tilted
b
: a sloping surface
c
: slant, bias
a tilt toward military involvement
2
3
: any of various contests resembling or suggesting tilting with lances
4
a
: a contest on horseback in which two combatants charging with lances or similar weapons try to unhorse each other : joust
b
: a tournament of tilts
tilt adjective

tilt

3 of 4

noun (2)

: a canopy for a wagon, boat, or stall

tilt

4 of 4

verb (2)

tilted; tilting; tilts

transitive verb

: to cover or provide with a tilt

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
Its head can pan 360 degrees in range and tilt 90 degrees. Kevin Cortez, Popular Mechanics, 7 Mar. 2023 Suspicions tilt toward Suspect A; Suspect A becomes the next victim. New York Times, 23 Feb. 2023 These opposite trends could tilt the battlefield advantage toward Ukraine. David Axe, Forbes, 13 Feb. 2023 Perfect for thrillseekers, the craft can tilt aggressively to each side and dive to six feet for short periods of time. Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 7 Feb. 2023 The new maps tilt heavily in Republicans’ favor, with 63 of the 99 Assembly seats and 23 of the 33 Senate seats leaning toward the GOP, according to an analysis by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Corrinne Hess, Journal Sentinel, 3 Feb. 2023 How to Treat It: First, tilt your head back in the shower to make sure your shampoo and conditioner aren't running down your forehead, says Dr. Gohara. Jennifer G. Sullivan, Allure, 30 Jan. 2023 Next, tilt your pelvis forward rolling onto your tailbone. Macaela Mackenzie, Glamour, 4 Jan. 2023 Only her hips tilt forward to face the viewer (improbably, because there is no visible twist in her torso). Sebastian Smee, Washington Post, 29 Dec. 2022
Noun
The princess seems to favor designs with a tilt, like this lovely number from the 2011 wedding of cousin Zara to Mike Tindall. Stephanie Petit, Peoplemag, 23 Mar. 2023 Conte left Inter in the summer of 2021 due to the club’s worsening financial situation and a lack of money to make a serious tilt in Europe. Emmet Gates, Forbes, 23 Mar. 2023 Auburn's first win in that run: a 77-71 overtime thriller in an Elite Eight tilt in Kansas City, Missouri, in 2019, which sent the program to its first-ever Final Four. Ryan Black, The Courier-Journal, 25 Feb. 2023 Anderson and Sherman, professional friends who wanted to help Fishback, were perplexed by his tilt toward self-sabotage. C.j. Chivers, New York Times, 21 Feb. 2023 The piles of awards and honors that Jordan and James have accumulated tilt toward Jordan, but both are GOAT-worthy. Mitchell Thorson, USA Today, 16 Feb. 2023 James has three games on his docket before getting to that home tilt against the Bucks. cleveland, 2 Feb. 2023 Last season, Auburn’s closest game at home was in that top-25 tilt against Kentucky. Tom Green | Tgreen@al.com, al, 25 Jan. 2023 Of course, that will leave China increasingly with its own back to the wall, defensive and hostile, faced by a democratic India with a Western tilt. David A. Andelman, CNN, 23 Jan. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'tilt.' 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 (1) and Noun (1)

Middle English tulten, tilten to fall over, cause to fall, from Old English *tyltan, *tieltan, akin to Old English tealt unstable, tealtian to totter

Noun (2)

Middle English teld, telte tent, canopy, from Old English teld; akin to Old High German zelt tent

First Known Use

Verb (1)

1594, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun (1)

1507, in the meaning defined at sense 4a

Noun (2)

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Verb (2)

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of tilt was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near tilt

Cite this Entry

“Tilt.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tilt. Accessed 30 Mar. 2023.

Kids Definition

tilt

1 of 2 verb
1
: to move or shift so as to slant or tip
2
: to take part in a contest with lances : joust
tilter noun

tilt

2 of 2 noun
1
: a contest on horseback in which two opponents charging with lances try to unhorse each other : joust
2
: a contest with words between opponents
3
: speed entry 1 sense 1b
at full tilt
4
: the act of tilting : the state or position of being tilted

More from Merriam-Webster on tilt

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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