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

Lukas Dostal made 32 saves and denied Matvei Gridin on the final shot of the tiebreaker to seal Anaheim’s eighth straight win at home. —Los Angeles Times, 2 Mar. 2026

But his underwhelming length could be a tiebreaker for which lineman is drafted first. —Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 2 Mar. 2026

The Texas State men were slotted in as the fifth seed through a series of convoluted tiebreakers. —Caleb Yum, Austin American Statesman, 2 Mar. 2026

The win moves Minnesota a game clear of Denver in the West standings, critical given the Nuggets hold the season-long tiebreaker. —Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 1 Mar. 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