tie

verb \ ˈtī \

Updated on: 12 Apr 2018

tied; tying play \ˈtī-iŋ\ or tieing

transitive verb

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

intransitive verb

: 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

— tie into

: to attack with vigor

— tie one on

slang

: to get drunk

— tie the knot

: to perform a marriage ceremony; also : to get married

See tie defined for English-language learners

Examples of tie in a Sentence

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.

Recent Examples of tie from the Web

The Blackhawks nearly tied it with eight minutes left in the first half when Illinois State recruit Riley O’Brien broke through the middle of the field, but she was robbed by a diving save from Andrew goalkeeper Gabby Sportiello.

— steve millar, Aurora Beacon-News, "Samara Martinez delivers 'phenomenal' effort in net as West Aurora loses to Andrew," 8 Apr. 2018
More: Patience is paramount for struggling Reds Suárez finished the night 3-for-4 with five RBI, which tied his career-high, and Votto went 2-for-4 with an RBI.

— adam baum, Cincinnati.com, "Cincinnati Reds show potential from top of the batting order," 8 Apr. 2018
Graffiti—linked with both punk and nascent hip-hop—made its first major appearance in the city as a political art tied to black activism.

— vann r. newkirk ii, The Atlantic, "Fear of a Black 'Messiah'," 8 Apr. 2018
Anthony Mantha took a tripping penalty with 1:36 to go in regulation and the Islanders pulled their goalie to have two extra skaters and tied it up with 29.7 seconds to go on a Ryan Pulock goal.

— helene st. james, Detroit Free Press, "Detroit Red Wings lose finale against N.Y. Islanders, 4-3, in overtime," 7 Apr. 2018
Sullivan largely prefers to tie himself to the Trump administration's goals of bolstering infrastructure spending and speeding permitting.

— erica martinson, Anchorage Daily News, "Alaska’s congressional delegation wobbles toward balance with President Trump," 6 Apr. 2018
The Marlins had tied it in the 11th on Cameron Maybin’s double to left with two outs off Matt Barnes.

— craig davis, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Marlins fall to Red Sox in 13 on Ramirez's 2-run double, waste Urena's splendid start," 4 Apr. 2018
That combine time tied him with Tulane's Parry Nickerson and Ohio State's Denzel Ward as the fastest among all players.

— christopher dabe, NOLA.com, "Donte Jackson lowers already-fast 40 time at LSU pro day," 4 Apr. 2018
Connauton has 10 goals in 30 games since the All-Star break, tying him with Tampa Bay's Victor Hedman for most among defenseman since Jan. 28.

— richard morin, azcentral, "Kevin Connauton scores again to lift Coyotes over Flames," 3 Apr. 2018

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

First Known Use of tie

before 12th century

in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

tie Synonyms

Other Railroad Terms

cowcatcher, cupola, gauge, vestibule, yard

tie

noun

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

6 : something that is knotted or is to be knotted when worn: such as

a : necktie

b : a low laced shoe : oxford

—

tieless

play \ˈtī-ləs\ adjective

See tie defined for English-language learners

See tie defined for kids

Examples of tie in a Sentence

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.

Recent Examples of tie from the Web

In front of Mark Zuckerberg with the striped tie is Brian Rice, Facebook’s director of public policy.

— meghann farnsworth, Recode, "Identifying the other Facebook employees who are with Zuckerberg in DC this week.," 9 Apr. 2018
The tie for the lead lasted only about 15 minutes, because Reed was not retreating.

— bill pennington, New York Times, "Jordan Spieth Misses a Victory, but Gains Another Masters Memory," 8 Apr. 2018
The Blackhawks’ two ties came against strong programs from Glenbard East and St. Charles East.

— steve millar, Aurora Beacon-News, "Samara Martinez delivers 'phenomenal' effort in net as West Aurora loses to Andrew," 8 Apr. 2018
Among Coyotes players, Kuemper is probably the one with the most ties to Humboldt.

— richard morin, azcentral, "Coyotes part of grieving hockey community following Humboldt bus tragedy," 7 Apr. 2018
The Cavs would win the Central Division and the Sixers would not win the Atlantic, so the tie would go to Cleveland.

— joe vardon, cleveland.com, "Cavaliers nearly pull off miraculous comeback, lose 132-130 to 76ers," 7 Apr. 2018
The tie gives the Xolos a point in the standings but could jeopardize its chances at remaining in postseason contention with three matches remaining in the regular season.

— ivan orozco, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Frustrated Xolos come away with another LIGA MX tie," 6 Apr. 2018
Normally not a fan of ties, but these two XFINITY Series race names are terribly awkward for the same reason.

— michelle r. martinelli, For The Win, "The 10 painfully awkward NASCAR race names of 2018," 6 Apr. 2018
The French coach relied on the starting XI that beat Juventus in the last season’s final, in spite of the impressive showings by Marco Asensio and Lucas Vazquez in the PSG tie, and at the cost of leaving a long-faced Gareth Bale on the bench.

— juan pimiento, chicagotribune.com, "Ronaldo's bicycle kick, Liverpool trounce Man City and the best of the week in soccer," 5 Apr. 2018

Origin and Etymology of tie

Middle English teg, tye, from Old English tēag; akin to Old Norse taug rope, Old English tēon to pull — more at ¹tow

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year

tie Synonyms

Synonyms

bond, cement, cord, knot, ligature, link;

Near Antonyms

detaching, disengaging, parting, separation;

unbinding, unfastening, unfettering, untying (or untieing);

emancipation, freedom, liberation, release;

affection, fondness, sympathy;

fetter, handcuff, manacle, shackle, trammel;

constraint, curb, hampering, limit, limitation, restraint, restriction;

TIE Defined for English Language Learners

tie

noun

: a piece of string, ribbon, cord, etc., that is used for fastening, joining, or closing something
: something (such as an idea, interest, experience, or feeling) that is shared by people or groups and that forms a connection between them
: a responsibility that limits a person's freedom to do other things

tie

verb

: to attach (someone or something) to something with a string, rope, etc.
: to pass (something, such as a string, ribbon, or rope) around itself in a way that attaches it to something or holds it in place : to make a knot or bow in (something)
: to close or hold (something) with a string, rope, etc., that is attached to it or wrapped around it

TIE Defined for Kids

tie

noun \ ˈtī \

1 : necktie

2 : an equality in number (as of votes or scores)

The game ended in a tie.

3 : a contest that ends with an equal score

They finished the season with six wins and two ties.

4 : one of the cross supports to which railroad rails are fastened

5 : a connecting link : bond

family ties

6 : a line, ribbon, or cord used for fastening, joining, or closing

7 : a part (as a beam or rod) holding two pieces together

tie

verb

tied; tying \ˈtī-iŋ\ or tieing

1 : to fasten, attach, or close by means of a tie

2 : to form a knot or bow in

3 : to bring together firmly : unite

They are tied by marriage.

4 : to hold back from freedom of action

Obligations tied her down.

5 : to make or have an equal score with in a contest

Learn More about tie

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tie

Examples of tie in a Sentence

Recent Examples of tie from the Web

First Known Use of tie

tie Synonyms

Synonyms

Antonyms

Near Antonyms

Related Words

Other Railroad Terms

tie

tieless

Examples of tie in a Sentence

Recent Examples of tie from the Web

Origin and Etymology of tie

tie Synonyms

Synonyms

Near Antonyms

Related Words

Phrases Related to TIE

Related Phrases

TIE Defined for English Language Learners

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tie

TIE Defined for Kids

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