View synonyms for

tip-off

[tip-awf, -of]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

Informal.

the act of tipping off.
a hint or warning.
They got a tip-off on the raid.

tip-off

noun

a warning or hint, esp given confidentially and based on inside information
basketball the act or an instance of putting the ball in play by a jump ball

verb

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

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Word History and Origins

Origin of tip-off¹

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

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Idioms and Phrases

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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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

Some of the animals were found on land owned by Williams near Llandysul which neighboured Mr Evans' farm, following a local tip-off in March.

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He also established a hotline for tip-offs from the public and encouraged his online followers to share information on the people around them.

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Another tip-off suggested that an inmate serving a life sentence would kill Yaxley-Lennon if they were ever placed on the same wing.

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Yet police refrained from telling the public that they believed the plot was fake "out of an abundance of caution", as they continued to receive tip-offs about other related terror plots.

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It had earlier received a tip-off from local police about a "suicidal individual who may be travelling to Washington DC from Indiana", it said.

From

tipoff tip of the iceberg

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