top-off
noun
a person who informs on another, often as if by accident or as a joke.
top-off
American
[top-awf, -of]
/ ˈtɒpˌɔf, -ˌɒf /
noun
Australian Slang.
top off
British
verb
top off
Idioms
-
Fill a container, especially when it is almost full to begin with. For example, I don't need much gas; just top off the tank, please . [First half of 1900s]
-
Finish, especially in a spectacular way, as in They topped off their trip with a visit to the White House . [First half of 1800s]
Etymology
Origin of top-off
First recorded in 1940–45; noun use of verb phrase top off to inform (on someone)
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.
See Examples For:
It didn’t save gas and more often than not it triggered panic buying, like the 12-cent top-off.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 18, 2026
This was just a top-off to hit its capex target and still have some cash left over.
From Barron's ● Dec. 8, 2025
And if you’re in a rush, a 15-minute top-off will get you several hours of playback time.
From The Verge ● Jun. 29, 2022
Engineers deliberately left the fuel tank accessible for a top-off by visiting spacecraft, if and when such technology becomes available.
From Seattle Times ● Dec. 25, 2021
The fund is filled with gas tax receipts and the occasional top-off from the government’s regular coffers.
From Washington Post ● Sep. 28, 2021
It requires water agencies to have backup power that could keep pumps running in an outage and to top off any water tanks after a notification from county emergency officials about dangerous weather conditions.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 8, 2026
Emily, John, and David top off the summer by answering listeners’ questions of all kinds.
From Slate ● Aug. 20, 2026
I yanked the top off the body-wash dispenser at one hotel and left it off until I checked out.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 15, 2026
Miovski grabbed his own third with a penalty before substitute Thelo Aasgaard scored a terrific free-kick to top off the win.
From BBC ● Jan. 17, 2026
She pried the top off an empty barrel and began to climb in.
From "The Long-Lost Home" by Maryrose Wood
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.
