tiebreak

noun

tie·​break ˈtī-ˌbrāk 

plural tiebreaks

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

a tennis tiebreak

Examples of tiebreak in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The pressure on Zverev did not let up with Shelton eventually forcing a tiebreak, but the German jumped out to a rapid 5-0 lead and eventually would win the set 7-6 (2). — Jacob Lev, CNN Money, 13 Sep. 2026

Shelton dropped the first set in a tiebreak, then ripped through the next two to take control of the match. — Dan Zaksheske Outkick, FOXNews.com, 9 Sep. 2026

Two long matches on Arthur Ashe Stadium in the daytime, both finishing in deciding tiebreaks, pushed the night session start back by 90 minutes. — Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026

Still, Williams, a seven-time Grand Slam champion, made a match of it, earning three set points on return at 5-4 in the second set and forcing a tiebreak. — Anna Lazarus Caplan, PEOPLE, 31 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1970, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for tiebreak

• awake
• backache
• beefsteak
• betake
• cheesecake
• cupcake
• daybreak
• earthquake
• forsake
• gouache
• handshake
• headache