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

The Bulls already have clinched the tiebreaker against the Heat by winning the first two games of the season series. —Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 9 Apr. 2025

The Kings hold the tiebreaker by virtue of their 2-1 lead in the season series. —Jason Anderson, Sacbee.com, 6 Apr. 2025

The Wild are tied with the Blues with 89 points in 76 games and currently have the tiebreaker by three regulation wins. —Michael Russo, New York Times, 3 Apr. 2025

That, in turn, also would give one of those two the tiebreaker over the Heat. —Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 3 Apr. 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