tee off
Britishverb
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golf to strike (the ball) from a tee, as when starting a hole
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informal to begin; start
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Start or begin, as in We teed off the fundraising drive with a banquet . This usage is a metaphor taken from golf, where tee off means “start play by driving a golf ball from the tee.” [Second half of 1900s]
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Make angry or irritated, as in That rude comment teed him off , or I was teed off because it rained all weekend . [ Slang ; mid-1900s] Also see tick off .
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Kim rushed from the Presidents Cup in the United States to tee off at the Kasugai Country Club in Japan, having to manage on just six hours of sleep and a 14-hour time difference.
From BBC ● Oct. 3, 2026
The team finale, LIV’s signature event, had been scheduled to tee off in Michigan later this month.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 22, 2026
The Dodgers again couldn’t hold a lead, letting the Rockies tee off for 15 hits.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 19, 2026
Mr Wilmhurst, who last had a hole-in-one 20 years ago, was next to tee off.
From BBC ● Sep. 11, 2024
The difference is that one will be splurging and then play on a public course while the other will not blink at the price and tee off at a private country club.
From "Class Matters" by The New York Times
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