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
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
They can be fully charged up in 2.5 hours, and in a low-battery pinch, a 15-minute top-off should get you three hours of listening time.
From The Verge ● Sep. 29, 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
Emily, John, and David top off the summer by answering listeners’ questions of all kinds.
From Slate ● Aug. 20, 2026
The massive ships that glide through the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach are facing extreme fuel costs as oil prices rise, often paying millions of dollars more to top off their titanic tanks.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 8, 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 pulls the top off a container on the counter and hands it to me.
From "Zara’s Rules for Record-Breaking Fun" by Hena Khan
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.
