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
The Braves have a three-game lead with three to play and own a tiebreaker over second-place Orange Lutheran.
—Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 27 Apr. 2025
That allowed the Nuggets to even the head-to-head record and eventually win the tiebreaker process, which extends to records against Western Conference opponents.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 13 Apr. 2025
Los Angeles owns tiebreakers against the Grizzlies and Clippers, while the Lakers' tiebreaker against Minnesota has yet to be determined.
—John W. Dean, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Apr. 2025
Chicago owns the first tiebreaker, with 18 wins in regulation time to the Sharks’ 14.
—Curtis Pashelka, Mercury News, 4 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tiebreaker
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 27 Apr. 2025
That allowed the Nuggets to even the head-to-head record and eventually win the tiebreaker process, which extends to records against Western Conference opponents.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 13 Apr. 2025
Los Angeles owns tiebreakers against the Grizzlies and Clippers, while the Lakers' tiebreaker against Minnesota has yet to be determined.
—John W. Dean, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Apr. 2025
Chicago owns the first tiebreaker, with 18 wins in regulation time to the Sharks’ 14.
—Curtis Pashelka, Mercury News, 4 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tiebreaker
Cite this Entry
“Tiebreaker.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tiebreaker. Accessed 2 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share