hat trick

noun

Definition of hat trick

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

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

3 : 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? More Example Sentences Learn More about hat trick

Keep scrolling for more

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

In the end, Cristiano Ronaldy finished his hat trick in the 88th minute to earn the draw. — CBS News, "World Cup Friday: Egypt vs. Uruguay, Morocco vs. Iran, Portugal vs. Spain," 15 June 2018 Molly Monaghan had a hat trick while Julia Gatelein and Mia Rose Voss also had multi-goal games. — Lauren Green, Philly.com, "Thursday's South Jersey roundup: Cherokee moves on to South Group 4 semifinals," 17 May 2018 University of Maryland commit Josh Coffman scored 11 seconds into the game and had a hat trick and four points in the first half, and Chase Cope and Dean Draughn added two goals apiece to hand the Gladiators their first loss of the season. — Tim Schwartz, Howard County Times, "Hot start lifts Severna Park boys lacrosse to 9-5 victory over Glenelg," 18 Apr. 2018 In the 2018 World Cup, Ronaldo impressed for Portugal scoring four goals in four matches, including a hat trick in the opener against Spain. — Khadrice Rollins, SI.com, "Real Madrid Announces Cristiano Ronaldo's Transfer to Juventus," 10 July 2018 In all, Pele scored six goals in four games, a tally that included a hat trick in the semifinal against France. — Jim Reineking, USA TODAY, "FIFA World Cup: Top 10 best moments in tournament history," 8 June 2018 The Xavier commit added six goals on offense, including a hat trick in the Redskins' 8-0 win over Withrow on Aug. 31. — Shelby Dermer, Cincinnati.com, "2017 Ohio Fall All-Stars: Boys Soccer," 17 Jan. 2018 The new season doesn’t let up in that regard, as its twists and turns pull off a three-season hat trick. — Todd Vanderwerff, Vox, "4 TV shows to check out, from The Good Place to Lil Rel Howery’s new show," 27 Sep. 2018 There was a time when New Lenox resident John Senerchia was more interested in scoring hat tricks than winning feature races. — Tony Baranek, Daily Southtown, "Ice in his veins: From skates to racing shoes, John Senerchia travels the fast track to success at Grundy Speedway," 7 July 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'hat trick.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.