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

Shelton stayed right with him until 2-all in the tiebreaker. —Los Angeles Times, 9 July 2025

Still, Shelton stayed right with him until 2-all in the tiebreaker. —Howard Fendrich, Chicago Tribune, 9 July 2025

The wild card will be the team from each conference with the best record in group-play games that finished second in its group (with point differential a tiebreaker). —Khobi Price, Oc Register, 9 July 2025

Showdown tiebreaker: If the game is tied after nine innings or two hours, a tiebreaker showdown takes place with only the pitcher, batter, and one fielder. —Kaycee Sloan, The Enquirer, 2 July 2025

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