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

The sisters nearly recovered from a 6-0 deficit in the match tiebreaker before a double-fault by Venus Williams ended their first doubles appearance in a non-Grand Slam event since the Italian Open in 2016. — Jeff Wallner, Chicago Tribune, 18 Aug. 2026

So, the Dodgers lost three of four to the Brewers, who now have clinched the tiebreaker over the Dodgers. — Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 18 Aug. 2026

The squad lost to Zambia in the third group match, but won the group and a quarterfinal berth by a head-to-head goals tiebreaker between Malawi, Nigeria and Zambia. — Pj Green, Kansas City Star, 17 Aug. 2026

There are several tiebreakers to decipher ties in pool play, beginning with the head-to-head games. — Chris Hays, Sun Sentinel, 17 Aug. 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