top-off
Americannoun
verb
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Fill a container, especially when it is almost full to begin with. For example, I don't need much gas; just top off the tank, please . [First half of 1900s]
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Finish, especially in a spectacular way, as in They topped off their trip with a visit to the White House . [First half of 1800s]
Etymology
Origin of top-off
First recorded in 1940–45; noun use of verb phrase top off to inform (on someone)
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.
It didn’t save gas and more often than not it triggered panic buying, like the 12-cent top-off.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 18, 2026
This was just a top-off to hit its capex target and still have some cash left over.
From Barron's • Dec. 8, 2025
Many experts believe the third shot does more than just top-off waning immunity; the shot also broadens the ability of the immune system to defend against variants, including omicron.
From Washington Post • May 17, 2022
Engineers deliberately left the fuel tank accessible for a top-off by visiting spacecraft, if and when such technology becomes available.
From Seattle Times • Dec. 25, 2021
They can be fully charged up in 2.5 hours, and in a low-battery pinch, a 15-minute top-off should get you three hours of listening time.
From The Verge • Sep. 29, 2021
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.
