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

Democrats could flip all three competitive GOP seats this cycle — Sens. Jon Husted (R-OH), Thom Tillis (R-NC), and Susan Collins (R-ME) — and still not take the majority with another 50-50 split and Vice President JD Vance as a tiebreaker. —Ramsey Touchberry, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 13 Mar. 2025

Then the preseason favorite Irish lost at home to FSU to open the door for NC State to win out and take the top seed by virtue of that head-to-head tiebreaker. —Aaron Beard, Chicago Tribune, 5 Mar. 2025

That would make Utah State the No. 2 seed and send the three remaining teams into another tiebreaker. —Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Mar. 2025

The Kings hold the tiebreaker by virtue of their 2-0 advantage in the season series against the Mavericks. —Jason Anderson, Sacramento Bee, 3 Mar. 2025

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