0

I read in an online article:

The Eagles didn’t draft an offensive lineman last year. In fact, they’ve only drafted three – Seumalo and Vaitai in 2016 and Johnson in 2013 – in the last five drafts. The Eagles had arguably the best line in the league last season, but the projected starting lineup will be an average age of 30.4 by the opener.

Peters tips the number, but center Jason Kelce (30), guards Stefen Wisniewski (29) and Brandon Brooks (29), and even Johnson (28) aren’t spring chickens anymore.

It appears that tip means to reach as the highest point here. Am I right? Strangely I just checked Google dictionary (a simpler version of the ODO) and Merriam Webster, and there's no definition of tip related to this usage.

Improve this question
1
  • 2
    Jason Peters is 36, so he tips the average age higher than 30.
    – Andrew
    Commented May 10, 2018 at 0:09

1 Answer 1

Reset to default
2

This is an innovative (and I think vivid) extension of tip the scales* to take as its object the "number" registered on the scales: Peters, because he is significantly older (36) than the other linesmen, causes the average of their ages to lean toward a higher number.

* you'll find that in M-W s.v. tip

Improve this answer

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .