hat trick
noun
People
Did you know?
It may surprise some people to learn that the term "hat trick" as it relates to sports actually originated in British cricket. A bowler who retired three batsmen with three consecutive balls was entitled to a new hat at the expense of the club to commemorate this feat. Eventually, the phrase was applied to a single player scoring three goals in any goal sport and later to three victories or successes in sports as different as horse racing and golf. The phrase finally broadened to include a string of three important successes or achievements in any field.
Examples of hat trick in a Sentence
Miami Herald,
4 July 2026
Kylian Mbappé became only the second player to score a hat trick in a World Cup final, but his heroic effort wasn’t enough as Argentina won in penalties.
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Rohan Nadkarni,
NBC news,
4 July 2026
Messi tied the record of 16—set by Germany’s Miroslav Klose in 2014—with a hat trick in Argentina’s opening game this year and added two goals six days later, plus another on Saturday.
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Brett Knight,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2026
After all, Messi had his first-ever World Cup hat trick that night against Algeria.
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Pete Grathoff,
Kansas City Star,
1 July 2026
See All Example Sentences for hat trick
Cite this Entry
“Hat trick.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hat%20trick. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
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