tip sb off
— phrasal verb with tip uk/tɪp/us/tɪp/verb -pp-
C2 to warn someone secretly about something that will happen, so that they can take action or prevent it from happening:
[ + that ] Somebody must have tipped the burglars off that the house would be empty.
The robber was caught when someone tipped off the police.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Threats & warnings
- (I) told you (so)! idiom
- (just) you wait idiom
- bell
- cautionary tale
- do you want to make something/anything of it? idiom
- early warning system
- emergency cord
- fire a (warning) shot across sb's bow idiom
- forewarn
- heads-up
- notice
- ring/sound alarm bells idiom
- siren
- slap
- sound
- tip
- ultimatum
- wake-up call
- warning
- warning/alarm bells start to ring/sound idiom
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You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:
Revealing secrets & becoming known