tie

verb

\ ˈtī

tied; tying\ ˈtī-iŋ

\ or tieing

Definition of tie

(Entry 1 of 2)

transitive verb

1a : 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

2a : 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

4a(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

tie

noun

Definition of tie (Entry 2 of 2)

1a : 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

4a : 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

Other Words from tie Synonyms & Antonyms Example Sentences Learn More about tie

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Synonyms & Antonyms for tie

Synonyms: Verb

band, bind, truss

Synonyms: Noun

dead heat, draw, stalemate, standoff

Antonyms: Verb

unbind, untie

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.

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

There were a few stutters tied to how the headset detected the controllers. — Mark Hachman, PCWorld, "5G could be the foundation of next-gen 'cloud VR'," 27 Mar. 2019 Each episode will also reportedly include a new rendition of a classic HSM number along with an original song tied to the fresh series. — Lauren Rearick, Teen Vogue, "Meet the Cast of "High School Musical: The Musical: The Series," the Very Meta Show Coming Soon to Disney+," 22 Mar. 2019 The pair tied the knot on Sept. 6, 1997 and had their first child, daughter Sophia Grace, three years later. — Maria Carter, Woman's Day, "The Unconventional Path That Felicity Huffman and William H. Macy Took to Wedded Bliss," 12 Mar. 2019 Chinese culture also has a collection of rich myths tied to each food that are historically significant. — Ilaf Esuf, SELF, "How 10 People Cook the Foods They Grew Up With After Immigrating to the United States," 4 Jan. 2019 Facebook only handed over data to the Senate committee on 76 accounts tied to advertising purchases and not those that were used to make posts. — Sean Gallagher, Ars Technica, "Massive scale of Russian election trolling revealed in draft Senate report," 17 Dec. 2018 The charming yet simple homes are so closely tied into our American vision of home—and for good reason. — Maggie Burch, House Beautiful, "Everything You Need To Know About Cape Cod-Style Houses," 9 Nov. 2018 The contributions were made to a pair of GOP super PACs tied to congressional Republicans, Senate Leadership Fund and Congressional Leadership Fund. — Fox News, "Video from 2011 creates headaches for Sinema," 12 Oct. 2018 Getty Images Answer: Jennifer Lopez Cost: $2.5 million Carats: 6 Ben Affleck proposed to Jennifer Lopez with this 6-carat pink diamond Harry Winston stunner, but the two never actually tied the knot. — Alex Warner, Marie Claire, "Can You Guess Which Engagement Ring Belongs to Which Celebrity?," 13 Mar. 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Amid the turmoil, ownership of the dormant Tully’s chain has been shrouded in a tangle of shell companies with ties to Avenatti. — James Queally, The Seattle Times, "Lawyer Michael Avenatti, accused of fraud and attempts to extort Nike, is arrested," 25 Mar. 2019 That foundation has been built up over time with closer ties to other Microsoft Office apps, such as Word or PowerPoint, services like Yammer and OneDrive, and now improved video chat features built upon the Skype technology. — Mark Hachman, PCWorld, "Microsoft Teams taps AI to boost new background, whiteboarding features," 19 Mar. 2019 According to an article by The New York Times, the U.S. military has escalated a war against the Shabab, described as an extremist group with ties to Al Qaeda. — Emily Bloch, Teen Vogue, "The Trump Administration Is Waging a Drone War in Somalia With Increased Air Strikes," 12 Mar. 2019 Beyond Kylie, the rest of the Kardashian-Jenner family has reportedly severed all ties with Woods. — Stacey Leasca, Allure, "Kylie Jenner and Jordyn Woods Are Reportedly Hanging Out Again," 10 Mar. 2019 In the wake of the scandal, many members of the KarJenner family appear to have cut ties with Jordyn. — Kayleigh Roberts, Marie Claire, "Jordyn Woods Chops Her Hair Into a Blunt Bob Amid Khloé Kardashian/Tristan Thompson Drama," 9 Mar. 2019 Brothers Prince William and Prince Harry, on the other hand, both wore dark suits with blue ties. — Erica Gonzales, Harper's BAZAAR, "Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle, Prince William, and Prince Harry Gather in Buckingham Palace," 5 Mar. 2019 Trump hosted a dinner for Pecker and a French businessman with ties to the Saudi royal family, for example, at a time when, according to the New York Times, Pecker was looking to expand AMI’s business with the kingdom. — Alex Finley - Center For Public Integrity, Vox, "Trump got the National Enquirer to bury his secrets. Did he do the same with Putin?," 21 Dec. 2018 Since the March attack, two other British nationals with no ties to Russia have been poisoned by the substance. — Matt Richardson, Fox News, "US to impose new Russia sanctions for 'chemical or biological weapons' use against British ex-spy," 2 Oct. 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.

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More Definitions for tie

tie

verb

English Language Learners Definition of tie

(Entry 1 of 2)

: 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

noun

English Language Learners Definition of tie (Entry 2 of 2)

: 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

See the full definition for tie in the English Language Learners Dictionary

tie

noun

\ ˈtī