tic-tac-toe
noun
variants
or tick-tack-toe
: a game in which two players alternately put Xs and Os in compartments of a figure formed by two vertical lines crossing two horizontal lines and each tries to get a row of three Xs or three Os before the opponent does
Examples of tic-tac-toe in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Kids can play nine different games, including memory tests, reaction games, and classics like tic-tac-toe.
—
Cheryl Fenton, Parents, 10 July 2025
Since this comes in a pack of two, my kids will often use them to play tic-tac-toe, write secret messages to each other, or make up their own version of Pictionary to pass the time.
—Laura Lu, Parents, 30 June 2025
The score wasn’t out of hand until Ekblad’s power-play goal ended a textbook, tic-tac-toe passing from Aleksander Barkov to Tkachuk to Reinhart, who made a blind pass to Ekblad.
—Dave Hyde, Sun Sentinel, 10 June 2025
Seth Jones scored into a wide-open net after some spectacular tic-tac-toe passing, and fellow defenseman Dmitry Kulikov tied it with a shot through traffic that Stuart Skinner almost certainly did not see.
—Stephen Whyno, Chicago Tribune, 7 June 2025
Some tic-tac-toe passing from Tkachuk to Bennett to Mackie Samoskevich had the Panthers forward at the side of an open net.
—Dave Hyde, Sun Sentinel, 8 May 2025
Even the entertainment feels enhanced, with artful game sets like polished tic-tac-toe, a luxury edition of Clue, and a sleek Connect Four that double as decor.
—Ashlee Marie Preston, Forbes.com, 29 Apr. 2025
Events will tentatively include games of dodgeball, tic-tac-toe, a relay race, punt/catch, move the mountain and quarterback accuracy.
—Kirk Kenney, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Apr. 2025
The Gophers cashed in when Moore completed a beautiful tic-tac-toe passing play along with Ziemer and Snuggerud.
—Patrick Donnelly, Twin Cities, 8 Mar. 2025
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Cheryl Fenton, Parents, 10 July 2025
Since this comes in a pack of two, my kids will often use them to play tic-tac-toe, write secret messages to each other, or make up their own version of Pictionary to pass the time.
—Laura Lu, Parents, 30 June 2025
The score wasn’t out of hand until Ekblad’s power-play goal ended a textbook, tic-tac-toe passing from Aleksander Barkov to Tkachuk to Reinhart, who made a blind pass to Ekblad.
—Dave Hyde, Sun Sentinel, 10 June 2025
Seth Jones scored into a wide-open net after some spectacular tic-tac-toe passing, and fellow defenseman Dmitry Kulikov tied it with a shot through traffic that Stuart Skinner almost certainly did not see.
—Stephen Whyno, Chicago Tribune, 7 June 2025
Some tic-tac-toe passing from Tkachuk to Bennett to Mackie Samoskevich had the Panthers forward at the side of an open net.
—Dave Hyde, Sun Sentinel, 8 May 2025
Even the entertainment feels enhanced, with artful game sets like polished tic-tac-toe, a luxury edition of Clue, and a sleek Connect Four that double as decor.
—Ashlee Marie Preston, Forbes.com, 29 Apr. 2025
Events will tentatively include games of dodgeball, tic-tac-toe, a relay race, punt/catch, move the mountain and quarterback accuracy.
—Kirk Kenney, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Apr. 2025
The Gophers cashed in when Moore completed a beautiful tic-tac-toe passing play along with Ziemer and Snuggerud.
—Patrick Donnelly, Twin Cities, 8 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Tic-tac-toe.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tic-tac-toe. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
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