1 C1 neutral
In golf, for a ball to hit the rim of the hole and spin or roll out without going in.
"He was devastated when his birdie putt lipped out on the final hole."
lip out
C1 neutral intransitive
In golf, when a ball rolls to the edge of the hole (the 'lip') and spins out without dropping in.
In plain English
When a golf ball looks like it's going in the hole but rolls around the edge and comes back out.
What does "lip out" mean?
One main meaning — here's how to use it.
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
The ball touches the lip (rim) of the hole and comes out — transparent within golfing context.
Actually means
When a golf ball looks like it's going in the hole but rolls around the edge and comes back out.
Usage tip
Highly domain-specific golf terminology. Not used outside of golf or sports reporting on golf. A 'lip out' is considered a particularly unlucky miss. Also written as 'lip-out' as a noun.
Words that pair with "lip out"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
putt hole birdie green cup golf shot
How to conjugate "lip out"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
lip out
I/you/we/they
3rd person
lips out
he/she/it
Past simple
liped out
yesterday
Past participle
liped out
have + pp
-ing form
liping out
continuous
Hear "lip out" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "lip out" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
Other ways to say "lip out"
Swap in when you want variety — tap a linked one to explore it.
Keep exploring
Jump to every phrasal verb built on the same verb, particle, or level.