Meaning & use
tipping off
Last updated
Meanings
phraseuncountable
The act of giving someone a secret warning or piece of information, often about something that is going to happen.
Grammar: Used as a noun, often with 'a' or in the phrase 'give someone a tipping off'. It is less common than the verb 'tip off'.
Patterns
- a tipping off
- give someone a tipping off
The police received a tipping off about the planned robbery.
He was accused of giving the gang a tipping off before the raid.
A tipping off from an insider helped them avoid the trap.
verbtransitive
Present participle of 'tip off': warning someone secretly about something that is about to happen.
Grammar: This is the -ing form of the phrasal verb 'tip off'. It takes an object: 'tipping off the police'.
Patterns
- tipping someone off
- tipping off someone
Someone is tipping off the journalists about the story.
She was tipping off her friends about the surprise party.
They were tipping off the authorities about the illegal shipment.
Common combinations
- a tipping off
- The customs officers acted on a tipping off and searched the van.
- give someone a tipping off
- A former employee gave the newspaper a tipping off about the layoffs.
- receive a tipping off
- They received a tipping off that the police were coming.
- tipping off the police
- He was caught tipping off the police about the drug deal.
Synonyms and how they differ
- warning
- A general word for telling someone about a possible danger or problem; 'tipping off' is more secret and often involves confidential information.
- alert
- A warning about a specific danger; 'tipping off' suggests giving inside information, often to help someone avoid trouble.
- heads-up
- Informal and neutral, meaning a helpful advance warning; 'tipping off' often implies secrecy or betrayal.
Word family
- tip-off noun
- A secret warning or piece of information, usually written with a hyphen.
- tip off phrasal verb
- To give someone a secret warning; the base form of the verb.
Commonly confused: tipping off or tipping point?
tipping off vs tipping point
A completely different phrase meaning the moment when a situation changes significantly. 'Tipping off' is about giving a secret warning.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'tipping off' correctly?
Choose one answer.
The correct passive form is 'were tipped off' (past participle). Option 1 uses the -ing form incorrectly in a passive structure. Option 3 means the police were giving the warning, not receiving it. Option 4 uses the base form 'tip' instead of the past participle.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “tipping off”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.