tied; tying
ˈtī-iŋ 
or tieing
or tieing
1
a
: to fasten, attach, or close by means of a tie
b
: to form a knot or bow in
tie your scarf
c
: to make by tying constituent elements
tied a wreath
tie a fishing fly
2
a
: to place or establish in relationship : connect
b
: to unite in marriage
c
: to unite (musical notes) by a tie
d
: to join (power systems) electrically
3
: to restrain from independence or freedom of action or choice : constrain by or as if by authority, influence, agreement, or obligation
4
a(1)
: to make or have an equal score with in a contest
(2)
: to equalize (the score) in a game or contest
(3)
: to equalize the score of (a game)
b
: to provide or offer something equal to : equal
: to make a tie: such as
a
: to make a bond or connection
b
: to make an equal score
c
: to become attached
d
: to close by means of a tie
1
a
: a line, ribbon, or cord used for fastening, uniting, or drawing something closed
especially
: shoelace
b(1)
: a structural element (such as a rod or angle iron) holding two pieces together : a tension member in a construction
(2)
: any of the transverse supports to which railroad rails are fastened to keep them in line
2
: something that serves as a connecting link: such as
a
: a moral or legal obligation to someone or something typically constituting a restraining power, influence, or duty
b
: a bond of kinship or affection
3
: a curved line that joins two musical notes of the same pitch to denote a single tone sustained through the time value of the two
4
a
: an equality in number (as of votes or scores)
b
: equality in a contest
also
: a contest that ends in a draw
5
: a method or style of tying or knotting
Synonyms
Examples of tie in a Sentence
Verb
His kidnappers tied him to a chair.
She tied a scarf around her neck.
She tied knots in the rope.
You need to tie your shoe.
His hands and feet had been tied together.
She tied the apron loosely around her waist.
The team still has a chance to tie.
I had the lead but he tied me by making a birdie on the last hole.
Her time tied the world record.
He tied the school's record in the high jump.
Noun
He was wearing a suit and tie.
You have a spot on your tie.
The pants have a tie at the top.
He was not ready to accept the ties of family life.
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Recent Examples on the Web
Charna Flam, Peoplemag, 23 Sep. 2023
Weakness in auto sales helped hold back July retail sales to a 0.3% rise on-month, which may have been tied to the port strike in British Columbia, but the flash estimate for August suggests sales fell sharply in volume terms.
—WSJ, 22 Sep. 2023
The Tigers are converting 57.5% of their third-down plays, tied for fifth in the FBS, largely due to Daniels' creativity.
—Tom Murphy, Arkansas Online, 22 Sep. 2023
The rest of her blonde hair was tied into a ponytail, bursting with distinct, bouncy barrel curls.
—Gabi Thorne, Allure, 21 Sep. 2023
The hypothalamic circuit could also possibly tie into what is already known about how the brain promotes food cravings, which DiFeliceantonio says has largely to do with the release of the hormone dopamine.
—Jocelyn Solis-Moreira, Scientific American, 21 Sep. 2023
Bringing more workers into the climate movement might also look like organizing for legislation that ties decarbonization to the creation of union jobs and lower energy bills, like New York’s Build Public Renewables Act, or BPRA.
—Claire Ravenscroft, The New Republic, 21 Sep. 2023
Phillips and Masterson met in 2005 and tied the knot in 2011.
—Vulture, 20 Sep. 2023
After dropping both games of Tuesday’s doubleheader, the Red Sox are tied for last place in the American League East with the Yankees.
—Andrew Mahoney, BostonGlobe.com, 13 Sep. 2023
Chantz Martin, Fox News, 23 Sep. 2023
For its part, the Biden administration will have to weigh siding with one of its staunchest allies against its desire to cultivate closer ties with India as an economic partner and potential bulwark against Chinese influence in much of the world.
—Greg Miller, Washington Post, 23 Sep. 2023
The growing Israel-Saudi ties have been driven in large part by mutual acrimony toward Iran.
—Andrea Mitchell, NBC News, 22 Sep. 2023
For the new hairstyle announcement, the John Tucker Must Die talent posed in a black athletic two-piece showing off her toned midsection with a black hair tie around her wrist.
—Angel Saunders, Peoplemag, 22 Sep. 2023
The troops are attired more Silicon Valley than Wall Street in jeans or slacks (nary a suit, tie or cufflink in sight).
—Shawn Tully, Fortune, 22 Sep. 2023
Part restaurant and part training center, the Indigenous Food Lab hopes to provide outreach beyond Native communities and to strengthen cultural ties within them by reclaiming their cultural ancestry and empowering them to become more self-sustainable.
—Colette Davidson, The Christian Science Monitor, 22 Sep. 2023
As an openly gay man, to submit to this kind of typecasting brings up feelings of self-hatred and internalized homophobia, and Armendáriz doesn’t want his wrestling persona to have ties to society’s negative views on his sexuality.
—Nicole Froio, refinery29.com, 21 Sep. 2023
The war ended after Russia, a longtime ally of Armenia but with growing ties to Azerbaijan, negotiated a ceasefire.
—Christian Edwards, CNN, 20 Sep. 2023
See More
Verb
In May, the couple tied the knot in a Las Vegas wedding chapel.
—Charna Flam, Peoplemag, 23 Sep. 2023
Weakness in auto sales helped hold back July retail sales to a 0.3% rise on-month, which may have been tied to the port strike in British Columbia, but the flash estimate for August suggests sales fell sharply in volume terms.
—WSJ, 22 Sep. 2023
The Tigers are converting 57.5% of their third-down plays, tied for fifth in the FBS, largely due to Daniels' creativity.
—Tom Murphy, Arkansas Online, 22 Sep. 2023
The rest of her blonde hair was tied into a ponytail, bursting with distinct, bouncy barrel curls.
—Gabi Thorne, Allure, 21 Sep. 2023
The hypothalamic circuit could also possibly tie into what is already known about how the brain promotes food cravings, which DiFeliceantonio says has largely to do with the release of the hormone dopamine.
—Jocelyn Solis-Moreira, Scientific American, 21 Sep. 2023
Bringing more workers into the climate movement might also look like organizing for legislation that ties decarbonization to the creation of union jobs and lower energy bills, like New York’s Build Public Renewables Act, or BPRA.
—Claire Ravenscroft, The New Republic, 21 Sep. 2023
Phillips and Masterson met in 2005 and tied the knot in 2011.
—Vulture, 20 Sep. 2023
After dropping both games of Tuesday’s doubleheader, the Red Sox are tied for last place in the American League East with the Yankees.
—Andrew Mahoney, BostonGlobe.com, 13 Sep. 2023
Noun
Corum capped a 94-yard drive with a 2-yard touchdown run to help Michigan pull into a tie on its second possession, and the All-American running back finished with 97 yards on 21 carries.
—Chantz Martin, Fox News, 23 Sep. 2023
For its part, the Biden administration will have to weigh siding with one of its staunchest allies against its desire to cultivate closer ties with India as an economic partner and potential bulwark against Chinese influence in much of the world.
—Greg Miller, Washington Post, 23 Sep. 2023
The growing Israel-Saudi ties have been driven in large part by mutual acrimony toward Iran.
—Andrea Mitchell, NBC News, 22 Sep. 2023
For the new hairstyle announcement, the John Tucker Must Die talent posed in a black athletic two-piece showing off her toned midsection with a black hair tie around her wrist.
—Angel Saunders, Peoplemag, 22 Sep. 2023
The troops are attired more Silicon Valley than Wall Street in jeans or slacks (nary a suit, tie or cufflink in sight).
—Shawn Tully, Fortune, 22 Sep. 2023
Part restaurant and part training center, the Indigenous Food Lab hopes to provide outreach beyond Native communities and to strengthen cultural ties within them by reclaiming their cultural ancestry and empowering them to become more self-sustainable.
—Colette Davidson, The Christian Science Monitor, 22 Sep. 2023
As an openly gay man, to submit to this kind of typecasting brings up feelings of self-hatred and internalized homophobia, and Armendáriz doesn’t want his wrestling persona to have ties to society’s negative views on his sexuality.
—Nicole Froio, refinery29.com, 21 Sep. 2023
The war ended after Russia, a longtime ally of Armenia but with growing ties to Azerbaijan, negotiated a ceasefire.
—Christian Edwards, CNN, 20 Sep. 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'tie.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Noun
Middle English teg, tye, from Old English tēag; akin to Old Norse taug rope, Old English tēon to pull — more at tow entry 1
First Known Use
Verb
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a
Noun
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Time Traveler
The first known use of tie was
before the 12th century
Phrases Containing tie
Dictionary Entries Near tie
Cite this Entry
“Tie.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tie. Accessed 29 Sep. 2023.
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Kids Definition
tie
1 of 2 noun1
: a line, ribbon, or cord used for fastening, uniting, or drawing something closed
2
a
: a structural part (as a beam) holding two pieces together
b
: one of the cross supports to which railroad rails are fastened
3
: a bond of kinship or affection
family ties
4
: a curved line joining two musical notes of the same pitch and used to indicate a single tone sustained through the time value of the two notes
5
a
: an equality in number : deadlock
the game ended in a tie
b
: a contest that ends with an equal score
6
: necktie
tie
2 of 2 verb
tied; tying
ˈtī-iŋ
or tieing
or tieing
1
a
: to fasten, attach, or close by means of a tie
b
: to form a knot or bow in
tie your scarf
2
: to limit the freedom or actions of
responsibilities tied us down
3
a
: to make or have an equal score with in a contest
the two teams tied
b
: to come up with something equal to
tied the score
More from Merriam-Webster on tie
Nglish: Translation of tie for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of tie for Arabic Speakers
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