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
Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 13 June 2026
Before Balogun’s brace on Friday, the last American man to score more than one goal in a World Cup game was Bert Patenaude, who had a hat trick, against Paraguay, in 1930 (the Americans reached their only World Cup semifinal that year).
—Sean Gregory, Time, 13 June 2026
The 24-year-old enters the tournament netting a hat trick in a 3-1 victory against Northern Ireland on Monday.
—Fiifi Frimpong, New York Daily News, 13 June 2026
The Cougars came out of the gate flying, with Ani Woodard registering a hat trick and Emma Whoriskey and Taylor Watts adding goals in the opening frame.
—Jack Murray, Boston Herald, 11 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 16 Jun. 2026.
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