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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

His body has never been found and police hope the images could jog memories that could lead to a tip-off.

From BBC ● Jul. 14, 2026

On another ticket marketplace Gametime, prices for Game 3 also dropped closer to tip-off, something that has occurred in each game of the NBA Conference Finals and NBA Finals in 2026.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 8, 2026

He was arrested after a tip-off from the CIA just before Swift's opening concert in Vienna in 2024.

From BBC ● Apr. 27, 2026

He walked to the center tip-off circle and dribbled the ball four times.

From "Millionaires for the Month" by Stacey McAnulty

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

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 16, 2026

Because companies cannot and do not disclose information that would tip off rivals and allow objective assessment of their long-term prospects, emotion rules.

From Barron's ● Jan. 2, 2026

He first came to my attention after a tip off from a teenage girl came out of the blue in 2023.

From BBC ● Jun. 28, 2025

The game, which was slated to tip off at 7:30 p.m. at Crypto.com Arena, will be rescheduled at a later date.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 9, 2025

McKissick and student leaders had kept plans for the rally secret, fearing that more conservative blacks would tip off the authorities.

From "The Best of Enemies" by Osha Gray Davidson