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
Marlene Lenthang,
NBC news,
27 June 2026
After a hat trick in Argentina’s opening match, Messi scored two goals in his first match at AT&T Stadium against Austria on June 22.
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Nick Harris,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
27 June 2026
Messi, ever the showman, scored a stunning hat trick—his first ever in a World Cup—for the 3–0 win, and was subbed out in the seventy-ninth minute for Nico Paz (suggested by some to be his heir apparent), to a standing ovation.
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Jordan Salama,
New Yorker,
27 June 2026
The 39-year-old Argentine legend and Inter Miami captain is still making magic, scoring all five of Argentina’s five goals in the first two matches, including a hat trick in the opener.
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Michelle Kaufman,
Miami Herald,
27 June 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 1 Jul. 2026.
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