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 Showstoppers finished in a tie with Belle Plaine, each receiving 27 points, but Hutchinson placed fifth on a tiebreaker Orono won the Section 3AA high kick category with 6.5 points, and Mound Westonka was second with 8 points. —Contributed Content, Twin Cities, 7 Feb. 2025

If a tiebreaker is needed after three rounds, the brother who kicked it closest to the center target in the last round will be named the Kick of Destiny champion. —Skyler Caruso, People.com, 6 Feb. 2025

The Aledo Bearcats can lock up the top small school slot with a victory over Azle, while Fossil Ridge needs an Aledo loss and a victory to trigger a tiebreaker; the Bearcats have a clear advantage with two head-to-head victories over Fossil Ridge. —Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 Feb. 2025

That was a tough break for Pittsburgh, which finished second in the AFC North to Baltimore due to the head-to-head tiebreaker. 2010 Baltimore Ravens Record: 12-4. —Amos Morale Iii, The Athletic, 4 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1904, in the meaning defined at sense 3