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

Since the 1970 World Cup, goal difference (the difference between goals scored and conceded by a team) had been used as a group-stage tiebreaker, meaning that all three teams had a chance of advancing to the next stage, depending on the number of goals scored in the final group-stage match. — Tushaar Kuthiala, Encyclopedia Britannica, 22 June 2026

The Olympian also tied for third place on the still rings, but – like Claire Pease – missed out on the medal due to a tiebreaker. — Caroline Price, Forbes.com, 21 June 2026

Clinching the group as early as Friday night is possible because FIFA changed tiebreakers for this year’s World Cup, giving less weight to goal differential. — Chris Biderman, Sacbee.com, 19 June 2026

The top four hitters advance, with the distance of the longest homer used as a tiebreaker. — CBS News, 18 June 2026

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