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tag off

B2 informal inseparable intransitive
In simple words

Touch your partner so they can start their turn while you rest

Literal meaning: To make a tag (a touch) and go off — largely transparent in a sports context.

Meanings

1 B2 informal

(Sports) To touch a teammate to transfer the active role to them, as in a relay race or tag team wrestling

"She tagged off to her partner as soon as she touched the wall after the first length."

Grammar: inseparable
2 B2 neutral

(Transit, British/Australian English) To end a journey by touching a travel card on a reader when leaving a bus or train

"Don't forget to tag off when you leave the bus or you'll be charged the maximum fare."

Grammar: inseparable
Usage notes

Used in relay swimming, wrestling tag matches, children's tag games, and figuratively in team work contexts. Also used in transit systems in some varieties of English to mean touching out with a travel card (variant of 'tap off').

Commonly used with

partner teammate relay swimmer wrestler runner

Forms

Base
tag off
I/you/we/they
3rd person
tags off
he/she/it
Past simple
taged off
yesterday
Past participle
taged off
have + pp
-ing form
taging off
continuous

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