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 Sox hold the tiebreaker advantage after winning the regular-season series. — Lamond Pope, Chicago Tribune, 26 Sep. 2026

Early in the match tiebreaker, De Minaur leaped for a volley and ended up sprawled on the black court inside the O2 Arena before popping back up as Zverev's reply sailed out. — ABC News, 26 Sep. 2026

The Rangers must finish ahead of the Astros to win the division because Houston holds the tiebreaker based on a 9-4 head-to-head record this season. — Jim Barnes, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 23 Sep. 2026

Indiana owns the tiebreaker, should the teams finish with identical records. — Tyler Estep, AJC.com, 23 Sep. 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