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 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
See All Example Sentences for tiebreaker
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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
See All Example Sentences for tiebreaker
Cite this Entry
“Tiebreaker.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tiebreaker. Accessed 23 Apr. 2025.
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