Commerce. a process of reorganizing a corporate structure whereby the capital stock of a division or subsidiary of a corporation or of a newly affiliated company is transferred to the stockholders of the parent corporation without an exchange of any part of the stock of the latter.
any product that is an adaption, outgrowth, or development of another similar product.
The paperback is a spin-off from the large hardcover encyclopedia.
a secondary or incidental product or effect derived from technological development in a somewhat unrelated area.
any product or development derived incidentally from the application of existing knowledge or enterprise
a book, film, or television series derived from a similar successful book, film, or television series
First recorded in 1945–50; noun use of verb phrase spin off
How does spin-off compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The suit centered on profit participation rights for the original “Walking Dead” series and its first spin-off, “Fear the Walking Dead.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 8, 2026
The Bafta-winning show first launched in 1986 and led to hit spin-off show Holby City, which was based around its fictional setting in south-west England.
From BBC ● Sep. 1, 2026
The team is also working with Eyelumina,a spin-off company in formation to secure investments that support translational development and future clinical trials.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 28, 2026
The first Game of Thrones stage spin-off has been launched by the Royal Shakespeare Company, and the verdict from most theatre critics is that it's a worthy addition to the epic fantasy franchise.
From BBC ● Aug. 9, 2026
But the heady excitement of turning one tune into two at no extra cost had another spin-off: organum where one voice stood still instead.
From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall
In recent years, investment analysts have called for Disney to spin off ESPN, arguing that a stand-alone entity would be better positioned to manage the sports network as a declining asset.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026
The announcement of price cuts comes ahead of parent company Associated British Foods' plan to spin off the business onto the London stock market next year.
From BBC ● Jul. 26, 2026
The milestone comes as Comcast Corp. prepares to spin off NBCUniversal entertainment and news media businesses into a separate company.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2026
The deal which excludes ITV Studios, the group's production arm, comes after Comcast last week said it would spin off its Sky media and NBCUniversal divisions into a separate company.
From Barron's ● Jul. 6, 2026
That’s when I felt my head spin off.
From "Bronx Masquerade" by Nikki Grimes
Even the smallest side characters were gifted their own spin-offs in the streaming service-boosted age of marketable intellectual property.
From Salon ● Aug. 29, 2026
Since then, the original series and its more than a dozen spin-offs have generated nearly 1,000 episodes.
From Barron's ● Jul. 26, 2026
Every one of Disney’s remakes and spin-offs of its animated hits has been a naked cash grab.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 9, 2026
The part earned her an Annie Award for best voice acting in an animated feature production and she continued to voice the character in spin-offs.
From BBC ● Jun. 29, 2026
By 1980, the Lisp Machine project had generated two commercial spin-offs.
From Free as in Freedom: Richard Stallman's Crusade for Free Software by Sam Williams
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.
