hat trick
noun
People
Did you know?
It may surprise some people to learn that the term "hat trick" as it relates to sports actually originated in British cricket. A bowler who retired three batsmen with three consecutive balls was entitled to a new hat at the expense of the club to commemorate this feat. Eventually, the phrase was applied to a single player scoring three goals in any goal sport and later to three victories or successes in sports as different as horse racing and golf. The phrase finally broadened to include a string of three important successes or achievements in any field.
Examples of hat trick in a Sentence
Kristina Banahan, Boston Herald, 3 June 2025
Or maybe the hockey gods will simply decide the Leafs have had enough punishment after 58 years and lift the curse, leading to a 12-0 Game 7 win where the Core Four all somehow get first-period hat tricks and ride their sticks around at center ice like Tie Domi the rest of the night?
—James Mirtle, New York Times, 16 May 2025
Though Mbappe completed his hat trick in the second half, the home side held on for a 4-3 triumph and can now wrap up the Spanish top flight title with another victory over crosstown foe Espanyol away at the RCDE Stadium on Thursday.
—Tom Sanderson, Forbes.com, 12 May 2025
Mikko Rantanen was the star of the show, scoring three unanswered goals in the second period to help secure the win and a hat trick.
—Ben Verbrugge, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for hat trick
Cite this Entry
“Hat trick.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hat%20trick. Accessed 14 Jun. 2025.
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