Meaning & use
lip out
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Meanings
verbintransitivesport
in golf, to hit the edge of the hole and roll away instead of going in
Grammar: Used without an object, often in the phrase 'lip out'. The past tense is 'lipped out'.
Patterns
- the ball lipped out
- lip out of the hole
His putt lipped out of the hole, so he had to settle for a par.
The ball lipped out on the final hole, costing him the tournament.
She watched in disbelief as her birdie attempt lipped out.
nouncountablesport
a shot in golf that touches the edge of the hole but does not go in
Grammar: Used as a countable noun, often after 'a'. The plural is 'lip-outs'.
Patterns
- a lip-out
- suffer a lip-out
He had three lip-outs in a row, which was very frustrating.
That lip-out on the 18th hole changed the whole match.
Word forms
| third person singular | lips out |
|---|---|
| past tense | lipped out |
| past participle | lipped out |
| -ing form | lipping out |
| plural | lip-outs |
Common combinations
- lip out of the hole
- The ball lipped out of the hole and stopped inches away.
- a lip-out on the last hole
- A lip-out on the last hole cost him the championship.
- the putt lipped out
- The putt lipped out, leaving him with a tap-in.
- suffer a lip-out
- She suffered a lip-out on the 9th but still made the cut.
Synonyms and how they differ
- rim out
- Used in basketball and other sports when the ball hits the rim and bounces out; not used in golf.
Opposites
Word family
- lip noun
- the edge of a hole or opening
Commonly confused: lip out or lip out?
lip out vs lip out
Do not confuse with 'lip out' meaning to move your lips outward, which is rare and not a standard phrase.
Practice
The golfer's ball ______ the hole and rolled past, so he missed the birdie.
Choose one answer.
The correct pattern is 'lip out of the hole', so 'lipped out of' fits. 'Lipped out' alone is incomplete, and 'lipped out from' and 'lipped out on' are not used in this context.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “lip out”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.