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Meaning & use

tripped

verb·Everyday

Last updated

UK/trɪpt/
US/trɪpt/

“tripped” is a form of “trip”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.

Meanings

  1. verbtransitive or intransitive

    Past tense of trip: caught your foot on something and fell or almost fell.

    Grammar: Can be used with or without an object: 'She tripped on the step' or 'The wire tripped him.'

    Patterns

    • tripped on something
    • tripped over something
    • tripped someone

    She tripped on the uneven pavement and dropped her bag.

    He tripped over the dog and landed on the sofa.

  2. verbtransitive

    Past tense of trip: caused a switch or device to turn on or off.

    Grammar: Takes an object: 'tripped the alarm.'

    Patterns

    • tripped the alarm
    • tripped the switch
    • tripped a circuit breaker

    The burglar tripped the alarm as soon as he opened the window.

    The hairdryer tripped the circuit breaker.

Common combinations

tripped and fell
She tripped and fell on the ice.
tripped over
He tripped over a root while hiking.
tripped the alarm
The motion sensor tripped the alarm.

Synonyms and how they differ

stumbled
Similar meaning, but 'stumbled' often implies a loss of balance without necessarily falling completely.
fell
Stronger; means went down completely, while 'tripped' may only mean caught your foot.

Word family

trip verb
Base form: to catch your foot and lose balance.
tripping verb
Present participle: in the process of catching your foot.

Commonly confused: tripped or triped?

tripped vs triped

Misspelling; the correct spelling is 'tripped' with double 'p'.

Practice

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