Triple Crown

noun

1

: an unofficial title in horse racing representing the championship achieved by a horse that wins the three classic races for a designated category

2

: the unofficial title signifying the achievement of a baseball player who at the end of a season leads the league in batting average, home runs, and runs batted in

3

often not capitalized : a set of three noteworthy awards, wins, or achievements in a particular field

Examples of Triple Crown in a Sentence

a horse that won the first leg of the Triple Crown

Who was the last player to win the Triple Crown in the American League?

Recent Examples on the Web

Only ten pairs of men—plus Alex Honnold alone—have completed the Triple Crown in the 24 years since Dean Potter and Timmy O’Neill first established it. —Sam MacIlwaine, Outside Online, 16 June 2025

Affirmed edges Alydar for the third time. 1989 — Wayne Gretzky of the Kings is named the NHL’s MVP, winning the Hart Trophy for a record ninth time. 1995 — Trainer D. Wayne Lukas wins a record five straight Triple Crown races as Thunder Gulch takes the Belmont Stakes. —Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 10 June 2025

There have only been a handful of horses to win the Triple Crown. —Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 10 June 2025

The Belmont traditionally garners the lower ratings of the Triple Crown races so long as a horse is not in the running for the esteemed treble. —Jason Clinkscales, Sportico.com, 10 June 2025

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1897, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for Triple Crown

• chinatown
• tumbledown
• adown
• blowdown
• breakdown
• countdown
• crackdown
• crosstown
• downtown
• drawdown
• dropdown
• facedown