English Reference
Idiom idiom

tip the wink


To give (somebody) a hint or suggestion, as if by a wink; to ask or tell surreptitiously.

Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.


SIMPLE

He tipped me the wink when the boss walked in.

CONTEXTUAL

She tipped the wink to her friend that it was time to leave the party early.

COMPLEX

The veteran detective tipped the wink to his partner, signaling that the suspect was about to reveal the location of the stolen goods.


Related idioms8entries
  1. 01

    arse over tip

    Tumbling or falling; upside-down.

  2. 02

    forty winks

    A short sleep, an extra sleep, a nap.

  3. 03

    in the wink of an eye

    instantaneously, extremely quickly

  4. 04

    nudge nudge wink wink

    A phrase used to hint that the speaker is euphemistically referring to something else.

  5. 05

    pro tip

    A useful piece of advice.

  6. 06

    sleep a wink

    To sleep at all.

  7. 07

    tip of the hat

    A gesture of acknowledgement; often, an expression of gratitude; originally by doffing one's hat.

  8. 08

    tip of the ice cube

    The first aspect of an insignificant or exaggerated problem or situation.

Last updated August 10, 2026