tie

verb \ ˈtī \

|Updated on: 19 Jun 2018

Examples: tie in a Sentence

Definition of tie

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

Outbreaks of salmonella have been preliminarily tied to Kellogg’s Honey Smacks cereal and pre-cut melons and a fruit medley.

— glenn fleishman, Fortune, "Salmonella Outbreaks: How to Tell If Your Honey Smacks Cereal, Honeydew Melon or Other Pre-Cut Fruit Have Been Recalled," 16 June 2018
With the score tied at 1-1, Patrick Battiston chased a long ball over the top and poked it past German goalkeeper Toni Schumacher, only to be taken out by a vicious flying challenge.

— joshua robinson, WSJ, "The ‘Hand of God’ Delusion: World Cup History on Further Review," 14 June 2018
The Chicago Fire are tied with the Lions with 19 points, but City has more wins, so Kreis’ crew would still be in the playoffs if the regular season ended today.

— jordan culver, Pro Soccer USA, "Orlando City’s attack just isn’t the same during six-match losing streak," 14 June 2018
And unlike years past, they aren’t just tied to the belief that Twitter will simply be acquired by Google or Facebook.

— kurt wagner, Recode, "Twitter stock is at a three-year high. What is going on?," 13 June 2018
With the game tied at 7 in the ninth inning, George Springer took third on a sacrifice fly, and Jose Altuve followed with a steal of second.

— hunter atkins, Houston Chronicle, "Balk secures Astros' first four-game sweep of Rangers," 11 June 2018
With the game tied with two outs in the ninth, Rangers' closer Keone Kela was called for a balk that allowed the go-ahead run to score from third.

— stefan stevenson, star-telegram, "Rangers balk at another weird way to lose to Astros," 10 June 2018
With the score tied at 75, Coleman caught the ball on the wing and made the 3 against her former team.

— indystar sports, Indianapolis Star, "Former Indiana Fever player hits winner against them," 10 June 2018
With the game tied and four seconds left, Smith rebounded a free throw miss by teammate George Hill.

— langston wertz jr., charlotteobserver, "That viral parody video of JR Smith's NBA Finals gaffe? It was filmed in Charlotte.," 3 June 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

Definition of 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

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

Galvin has emphasized his record since first winning the seat in 1994 and is leaning on his deep ties to the party to help carry him among the Democratic faithful.

— BostonGlobe.com, "Walsh signals that he backs Zakim over Galvin in primary battle," 2 June 2018
This is followed by their encounter with Panama (June 24) before their toughest tie of the Group Stage, Belgium (June 28).

— SI.com, "'Tremendous Belief': Gareth Southgate Explains Reason Behind Making Harry Kane England's Captain," 2 June 2018
The motion picture's soundtrack is absolutely loaded with superstar assists throughout, as Future Hendrix utilizes his deep industry ties to make for some fascinating collaborations.

— michael saponara, Billboard, "Future Unveils Tracklist for 'Superfly' Soundtrack, Feat. Miguel & Lil Wayne," 1 June 2018
According to a recent Pew Research Group, 73 percent of U.S. residents who are Asian were born in another country: Our cultural ties across the Pacific are strong and, given the ease of international travel, fluid.

— jonathan kauffman, San Francisco Chronicle, "In the chain-averse Bay Area, why are we so crazy for Asian restaurant chains?," 31 May 2018
Which is how futuristic SoftBank, with its ties to just about every player in the driverless car and ride-hail market, wound up owning a small stake in a 110-year-old auto manufacturer.

— erin griffith, WIRED, "SoftBank Flips the Venture-Capital Script Again With GM Deal," 31 May 2018
The ink is barely dry on a letter from 60 Democratic lawmakers demanding an ethics investigation into the president’s relationship with China, and now there are new questions about his daughter’s business ties to Beijing.

— margaret hartmann, Daily Intelligencer, "Ivanka’s China Dealings Likely Just Regular Corruption, Not ZTE-Related," 29 May 2018
Then there's Alex, who isn't in a gray suit but Becca does compliment his tie.

— anna moeslein, Glamour, "The Bachelorette Season 14 Episode 1 Recap: Becca Kufrin Meets Her Contestants," 28 May 2018
Trump’s presence in Kansas comes most clearly through his ties to Kobach, who has advised the president on election and immigration law matters.

— hunter woodall, kansascity, "For Kansas candidates, President Trump looms large as primaries approach," 25 May 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

Definition of tie for English Language Learners

: 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

Definition of tie for English Language Learners

: 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 \

Definition of tie for Students

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

Definition of tie for Students

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

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for tie Spanish Central: Translation of tie Nglish: Translation of tie for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of tie for Arabic speakers

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tie

Definition of 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

Definition of 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

tie

Definition of tie for English Language Learners

tie

Definition of tie for English Language Learners

TIE Defined for Kids

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Definition of tie for Students

tie

Definition of tie for Students

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