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 format also opened a door to the possibility of the three-way tie at 1-1 with point differential as a potential tiebreaker. —David K. Li, NBC news, 16 Feb. 2026

Sweden, the only European team at the Olympics with a full roster of NHL players, won two of its three preliminary round games and only dropped to seventh because of a goal differential tiebreaker. —Stephen Whyno, Twin Cities, 15 Feb. 2026

Coach Antti Pennanen and his staff told players about the tiebreaker before puck drop. —Stephen Whyno, Chicago Tribune, 15 Feb. 2026

Boise State also lost in overtime to UNLV in January, meaning not only do the Broncos now sit a game behind the Rebels in the conference standings, but the Rebels also hold the head-to-head tiebreaker. —Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 14 Feb. 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