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
Mark Lazerus, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2025
Ava Anderson and Kaylee Master tallied a hat trick each for Watertown in a 12-1 Middlesex League rout of Melrose.
—Brendan Connelly, Boston Herald, 30 Sep. 2025
Frank Nazar, the former Michigan standout, had a pair of early goals and completed the hat trick in the final minute with an empty-net goal.
—Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 29 Sep. 2025
Joseph Paintsil notched a hat trick in the game’s first 43 minutes, and Sporting was easily carved up by the Galaxy time and time again.
—Daniel Sperry, Kansas City Star, 28 Sep. 2025
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 8 Oct. 2025.
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