hat trick

noun

: the scoring of three goals in one game (as of hockey or soccer) by a single player

: the dismissing (see dismiss sense 4) of three batsmen with three consecutive balls by a bowler in cricket

: a series of three victories, successes, or related accomplishments

scored a hat trick when her three best steers corralled top honors—

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

Recent Examples on the Web Coming off a mesmerizing Messi performance and Luis Suarez hat trick in a 6-2 rout of the New York Red Bulls, Inter Miami is highly motivated to continue padding its Eastern Conference lead and avenge an early season loss to Montreal, one of just two losses this season. —

Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 10 May 2024 The team’s only hat trick, though, has come at the craft beer bar. —

Benjy Egel, Sacramento Bee, 9 May 2024 See all Example Sentences for hat trick

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'hat trick.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.