on tap

Idioms

Available for immediate use, ready, as in We have two more trumpeters on tap for the parade. This metaphoric expression alludes to a beverage such as beer that is ready to be drawn from a cask. [Mid-1800s]

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.

Gen. Todd Blanche said last week that more charges could be on tap soon against other Mexican officials.

From Los Angeles Times • May 10, 2026

McCardel didn’t work in a comfortably air-conditioned office with kombucha on tap.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 4, 2026

That push is mirrored on the ground: India now has more than 15 million PNG connections, a number rising fast as policymakers nudge households to swap cylinders for gas on tap.

From BBC • Mar. 17, 2026

Even if the museum had red eyes on tap it wouldn’t have made a difference when it comes to this soporific presentation.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 6, 2026

Now I noticed that we spent only twenty minutes on ballet, and forty minutes on tap.

From "Taking Flight: From War Orphan to Star Ballerina" by Michaela DePrince

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023