tie

1 a situation in which neither participant in a contest, competition, or struggle comes out ahead of the other the competition for first place in the dessert division ended in a tie between the chocolate pecan pie and the walnut fudge tart Synonyms dead heat, draw, stalemate, standoff Related Words deadlock, impasse; seesaw; photo finish; horse race, toss-up

2 a uniting or binding force or influence their marriage will serve to form a very strong tie between our families Synonyms cement, cord, knot, ligature, link, bondRelated Words attachment, connection, fastening, hookup, joint, linkage, linkup, nexus, tie-up, union, yoke; affection, fondness, sympathy; fetter, handcuff, manacle, shackle, trammel; constraint, curb, hampering, limit, limitation, restraint, restrictionNear Antonyms detaching, disengaging, parting, separation; unbinding, unfastening, unfettering, untying (or untieing); emancipation, freedom, liberation, release

1 to gather into a tight mass by means of a line or cord tied the newspapers into a bundle Synonyms band, bind, truss Related Words cinch, cord, rope, strap, thread, wire; gird, girt; lash, leash, tether; interlace, intertwine, interweave, lace; entangle, knot, snarl, tangle, twist; coil, wind Near Antonyms undo, unfasten, unlace, unlash, unloose, unloosen, unstrap, unstring, unthread; unleash, untether; disentangle, unravel, unsnarl, untangle, untwine, untwist; uncoil, unspool, unwind Antonyms unbind, untie

2 to produce something equal to (as in quality or value) at the class reunion we learned that he had won the Nobel Prize in medicine—how could the rest of us tie that? Synonyms match, meet, equalRelated Words beat, better, eclipse, excel, outdistance, outdo, outshine, outstrip, overtop, surpass, top, transcend; amount (to), approach, touch; approximate, keep up, measure up (to), parallel, rival, stack up (against or with)