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

Her makeup artist Mary Phillips added one more touch of neon green eyeliner to her lids to tie the whole all green everything look together. — Alyssa Hardy, Teen Vogue, "Kendall Jenner Made This Middle School Trend Look 2019 Chic," 2 Jan. 2019 Alex Wong/Getty Images For months now, close watchers of the Mueller investigation have been intrigued by a mysterious court appeal involving a challenge to a grand jury action that appears to be tied to the probe. — Andrew Prokop, Vox, "The mysterious grand jury appeal that may be tied to the Mueller investigation, explained," 19 Dec. 2018 The decision not to tie anonymous content to the identities of the people posting it is a smart one that will protect the identities of many people who discussed sensitive personal matters. — Dan Goodin, Ars Technica, "Hackers breach Quora.com and steal password data for 100 million users," 4 Dec. 2018 Many tokens meet the court’s test because they can be traded for profit, and their value is tied to the performance of the startup that sold them, regulators say. — Dave Michaels, WSJ, "Are ICO Tokens Securities? Startup Wants a Judge to Decide," 27 Jan. 2019 After the game was tied at 2, the Panthers scored two power-play goals in nine seconds during the third period. — Paul Gereffi, The Seattle Times, "Vatrano’s 4-point game leads Panthers over Sharks 6-2," 21 Jan. 2019 Their identity will always be tied to the decade the style first became popular in. — Maggie Burch, House Beautiful, "What Exactly Is Retro Furniture?," 14 Jan. 2019 Like Pocahontas, Sacagawea was a real person, one whose life is directly tied to America’s colonialist history. — Ruth Hopkins, Teen Vogue, "Sacagawea Changed the Course of History and Deserves Respect," 11 Jan. 2019 But Apple’s services are tied to the amount of iPhones, iPads and Macs in people’s hands—and growth in those devices has begun to slow. — Tripp Mickle, WSJ, "Apple’s Pressing Challenge: Build Its Services Business," 10 Jan. 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Lawmakers made preliminary moves to cut America’s ties to the three-year conflict, with the Senate passing a historic resolution to cut military aid to Saudi Arabia related to the war in Yemen. — Amanda Sakuma, Vox, "Saudi Arabia is reportedly outsourcing its war in Yemen to child soldiers," 30 Dec. 2018 Before Damon's big purchase, the most expensive property in Brooklyn was a tie between Jennifer Connelly and Paul Bettany’s Brooklyn Heights townhouse and Jay Maisel’s Cobble Hill townhouse, both of which went for $15.5 million. — Brittney Morgan, House Beautiful, "Matt Damon Just Bought The Most Expensive Penthouse In Brooklyn," 28 Dec. 2018 She and Prince William traveled to Buckingham Palace this evening for a white tie diplomatic reception. — Chloe Foussianes, Town & Country, "Kate Middleton Stuns in a Sparkling Jenny Packham Gown and the Lover's Knot Tiara," 4 Dec. 2018 One designer in particular, Gigi Burris, has a special, nostalgic tie to Disney and ended up creating some wearable pieces for her eponymous label Gigi Burris Millinery. — Marina Liao, Marie Claire, "The Disney x Gigi Burris Collection Will Bring a Little Magic to Your Day," 5 Nov. 2018 Fans weren't convinced Jake's Disney Channel exit was a mutual decision, many believing that Disney Channel wanted to cut ties with the YouTuber because of his recent antics not aligning with Disney's child-friendly image. — Tamara Fuentes, Seventeen, "A Complete Timeline of Jake Paul's Biggest Controversies," 26 Sep. 2018 Petronzio, who shot a stellar 67 in the second round, suffered through a 43 on the back, scored 78 and fell into a tie for fifth at even par. — Tod Leonard, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Aussie grinds out Junior World win; Taiwan girl cruises," 13 July 2018 In the final between England and West Germany in 1966, a shot by the striker Geoff Hurst apparently failed to cross the goal line, but the goal was awarded anyway, breaking the Brits out of a gritty tie. — Alejandro Chacoff, The Atlantic, "Soccer Has No Interest in Fairness," 12 July 2018 The indictment unsealed Tuesday is unrelated to the 2016 Trump Tower meeting, but suggests Ms. Veselnitskaya had close ties to senior Russian government officials and at times sought to advance Russia’s interests in her dealings with U.S. officials. — Rebecca Ballhaus, WSJ, "Russian Lawyer Charged With Obstruction of Justice," 8 Jan. 2019

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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Dictionary Entries near tie

tidy away

tidy tips

tidy up after (someone)

Statistics for tie

Last Updated

13 Feb 2019

Look-up Popularity

Time Traveler for tie

The first known use of tie was before the 12th century

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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