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
L. Jon Wertheimcalled 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
Overall and head-to-head goal differential are tiebreakers for group placement, and the Norwegians won’t be bashful about scoring as many times as possible.
—Julian Cardillo, Boston Herald, 15 June 2026
Here are the rules for extra time and how tiebreakers work at the 2026 FIFA Men's World Cup, plus the new rules for this year's tournament.
—Kierra Frazier, CBS News, 11 June 2026
Carolina, Tampa Bay and Atlanta all finished with 8-9 records, but the Panthers won the tiebreaker despite dropping their final two regular-season games.
—Joseph Person, New York Times, 11 June 2026
What are the tiebreakers for the World Cup Group Stage and third-place finishers?
—Mark Harris, FOXNews.com, 10 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for tiebreaker
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Julian Cardillo, Boston Herald, 15 June 2026
Here are the rules for extra time and how tiebreakers work at the 2026 FIFA Men's World Cup, plus the new rules for this year's tournament.
—Kierra Frazier, CBS News, 11 June 2026
Carolina, Tampa Bay and Atlanta all finished with 8-9 records, but the Panthers won the tiebreaker despite dropping their final two regular-season games.
—Joseph Person, New York Times, 11 June 2026
What are the tiebreakers for the World Cup Group Stage and third-place finishers?
—Mark Harris, FOXNews.com, 10 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for tiebreaker
Cite this Entry
“Tiebreaker.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tiebreaker. Accessed 18 Jun. 2026.
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