1 B1 neutral
In golf, to place the ball on the tee ready for the first shot of a hole.
"She teed up her ball and took a few practice swings before driving."
separable
tee up
B2 neutral separable transitive
To place a golf ball on a tee ready to play, or to prepare something so that someone else can use, succeed with, or present it easily.
In plain English
To get something ready for someone else to use or succeed with — like handing them everything they need on a silver plate.
What does "tee up" mean?
3 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B2 idiomatic neutral
To prepare or arrange something so that someone else can use, present, or succeed with it easily.
"The sales team teed up the contract so all the director had to do was sign."
separable
3 B2 idiomatic informal
In comedy or conversation, to say something that gives another person the perfect opportunity to make a joke or point.
"His co-host always teed up the punchlines perfectly for him."
separable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
In golf: to place the ball on the tee peg, lifting it off the ground so it is ready to be hit.
Actually means
To get something ready for someone else to use or succeed with — like handing them everything they need on a silver plate.
Usage tip
The figurative sense is common in business, broadcasting, and comedy writing. 'Teeing someone up' in comedy means giving them the perfect opening for a joke. In business it means preparing the groundwork for a decision or presentation.
Words that pair with "tee up"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
ball question presentation joke discussion decision
How to conjugate "tee up"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
tee up
I/you/we/they
3rd person
tees up
he/she/it
Past simple
teed up
yesterday
Past participle
teed up
have + pp
-ing form
teeing up
continuous
Hear "tee up" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "tee up" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
Other ways to say "tee up"
Swap in when you want variety — tap a linked one to explore it.
Keep exploring
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