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Synonyms

jump-off

American  
[juhmp-awf, -of] / ˈdʒʌmpˌɔf, -ˌɒf /

noun

  1. a place for jumping off.

  2. a point of departure, as of a race or a military attack.

  3. the start of such a departure.

  4. a supplementary contest among horses tied for first place in a jumping contest.

jump-off British  

noun

  1. an extra round in a showjumping contest when two or more horses are equal first, the fastest round deciding the winner

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

verb

  1. (intr, adverb) to begin or engage in a jump-off

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of jump-off

An Americanism dating back to 1870–75; noun use of verb phrase

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

“I want this to be a place where people don’t stay forever. I want this to be a place that’s the jump-off to your next thing.”

From Seattle Times • Apr. 20, 2023

Springsteen and teammates Laura Kraut and McLain Ward each moved cleanly through the shortened jump-off course and did so with a combined time of 124.2 seconds.

From Washington Times • Aug. 6, 2021

Watch as Great Britain's Ben Maher wins gold for Great Britain in the individual jumping final, winning the jump-off with a time of 37.85.

From BBC • Aug. 4, 2021

The night before they chose a tie instead of a jump-off for the title.

From Fox News • Aug. 2, 2021

He eyed the crowd; the jump-off he blamed for starting this mess was nowhere to be found.

From "The Other Wes Moore: One Name, Two Fates" by Wes Moore

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.