tiebreaker

noun

tie·​break·​er ˈtī-ˌbrā-kər How to pronounce tiebreaker (audio)
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Under Senate rules, Ingrassia, White House liaison to the Department of Homeland Security, can lose only three Republican votes before requiring Vice President JD Vance to cast a tiebreaker, assuming unanimous Democratic opposition. Adeola Adeosun, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Oct. 2025 So, get your crazy tiebreaker scenarios ready. Stewart Mandel, New York Times, 19 Oct. 2025 The expansion club owned the tiebreaker by virtue of having more regular-season wins (19) than Vancouver (18). Ryan Finley, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 Oct. 2025 The Chiefs are 0-1 in division contests and how KC fares in AFC West games could end up being a tiebreaker in the division race. Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 16 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for tiebreaker

Word History

First Known Use

1904, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Time Traveler
The first known use of tiebreaker was in 1904

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Tiebreaker.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tiebreaker. Accessed 28 Oct. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on tiebreaker

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!