tiebreaker

noun

tie·​break·​er ˈtī-ˌbrā-kər 

plural tiebreakers

1

: an additional contest or period of play used to select a winner when a competition or part of a competition ends in a tie

… after a 90-minute rain delay in the third set, won a riveting tiebreaker.

—L. Jon Wertheim

called also tiebreak

2

: a person whose vote breaks a tie

The vice president served as a tiebreaker in the last senate vote.

3

: a final vote, point, or score that determines the winner in a contest

She cast the tiebreaker.

Examples of tiebreaker in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The Blue Jays also own the tiebreaker over the Yankees. —Aaliyan Mohammed, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Sep. 2025

There is not a way to succinctly break down tiebreakers yet, because the Giants and Diamondbacks play the next three days, the Padres and Diamondbacks play the final three days of the season and both the Giants and Diamondbacks have a series remaining against the Dodgers. —Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Sep. 2025

Because of the tiebreaker Toronto holds, its lead is effectively five games in the AL East. —Chris Kirschner, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2025

Toronto has already clinched the season series and owns the tiebreaker, so the Red Sox will need to jump them in the standings to steal the division title away. —Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 14 Sep. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1904, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Rhymes for tiebreaker

• blackacre
• caretaker
• clockmaker
• dressmaker
• filmmaker
• homemaker
• icebreaker
• lawmaker
• matchmaker
• pacemaker
• partaker
• peacemaker