tiebreaker

noun

tie·​break·​er ˈtī-ˌbrā-kər 

plural tiebreakers

1

: an additional contest or period of play used to select a winner when a competition or part of a competition ends in a tie

… after a 90-minute rain delay in the third set, won a riveting tiebreaker.

—L. Jon Wertheim

called also tiebreak

2

: a person whose vote breaks a tie

The vice president served as a tiebreaker in the last Senate vote.

3

: a final vote, point, or score that determines the winner in a contest

She cast the tiebreaker.

Examples of tiebreaker in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

But the Heat now holds the head-to-head tiebreaker over the 76ers after winning the regular-season series between the two teams, 2-1. —Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 31 Mar. 2026

Both campaigns are expected to intensify outreach as Whatley builds name recognition and unaffiliated voters emerge as potential tiebreakers in a state known for late movement. —Jesus Mesa, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Mar. 2026

Regulation wins are the NHL’s first tiebreaker. —Curtis Pashelka, Mercury News, 30 Mar. 2026

The game against a 76ers team that was idle Sunday will decide the potentially critical tiebreaker in the three-game head-to-head series. —Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 29 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1904, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Rhymes for tiebreaker

• blackacre
• caretaker
• clockmaker
• dressmaker
• filmmaker
• homemaker
• icebreaker
• lawmaker
• matchmaker
• pacemaker
• partaker
• peacemaker