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• tip-off
  tip-off

  noun

  the act of tipping off.
• tip off
  tip off

  Supply with secret or private information; also, warn or alert. For example, The broker often tipped her off about stocks about to go down in price, or Somehow they were tipped off and left the country before the police could catch them. [Colloquial; late 1800s]

tip-off

American  

[tip-awf, -of] / ˈtɪpˌɔf, -ˌɒf /

noun

Informal.

1. the act of tipping off.

2. a hint or warning.

   They got a tip-off on the raid.

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tip-off British  

noun

1. a warning or hint, esp given confidentially and based on inside information

2. basketball the act or an instance of putting the ball in play by a jump ball

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verb

1. (tr, adverb) to give a hint or warning to

tip off Idioms  

1. Supply with secret or private information; also, warn or alert. For example, The broker often tipped her off about stocks about to go down in price, or Somehow they were tipped off and left the country before the police could catch them. [Colloquial; late 1800s]

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Etymology

Origin of tip-off

First recorded in 1910–15; noun use of verb phrase tip off

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

tip-off tip off

The tip-off: Some of the voices they intercepted had southern accents.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 19, 2026

If trends for Game 4 follow the previous games in the series, prices will continue to drop as tip-off comes closer.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 8, 2026

Fans have been advised to arrive at least two hours before tip-off.

From BBC ● Jun. 8, 2026

Another tip-off for me about our friendship was that he never mentioned politics or religion.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 8, 2026

He acted on the tip-off from Thessicher, waited only until he got word of Estraven’s death, and then resigned.

From "The Left Hand of Darkness" by Ursula K. Le Guin

The Dodgers did not point to a cause for the concern, but Rushing did take a foul tip off his mask on Will Klein’s first pitch of the game.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 23, 2026

Durant was ruled out about 90 minutes before tip off.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 25, 2026

You can’t see your pool’s other brackets until the games tip off on Thursday.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 16, 2026

When his team tip off at London's Copper Box Arena there will be relief, but also lingering uncertainty.

From BBC ● Nov. 27, 2025

And such a request might tip off the SIM that something big is about to happen.

From "Before We Were Free" by Julia Alvarez