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.
English golfer Marco Penge says he is "in disbelief" as he prepares to tee off the DP World Tour's penultimate tournament with a chance of winning the Race to Dubai.
From BBC • Nov. 4, 2025
Common wisdom dictated that the longer driver of a pair should tee off on the odd numbered holes because of how those in particular tended to favor power.
From The Wall Street Journal • Sep. 29, 2025
When Mantiply returned to the mound in the seventh, it was Freeman’s turn to tee off, hitting his ninth home run of the year into the Chase Field pool for a 5-0 lead.
From Los Angeles Times • May 11, 2025
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
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
