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
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Later, a Gauff backhand winner, on the run, sent the set into a tiebreaker, where Sabalenka did prevail.
—Sean Gregory, Time, 7 June 2025
If they still can’t be separated after this, then various other tiebreakers will be applied, all the way down to the drawing of lots.
—Will Jeanes, New York Times, 6 June 2025
Marseille beats Milan 1-0 at Munich. 1994 — Haiti’s Ronald Agenor wins the longest match since the French Open adopted the tiebreaker.
—Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 26 May 2025
Sam Smith scored the tiebreaker with 5 minutes, 26 seconds left to cap the comeback, and goalie Delaney Sweitzer’s save with four seconds remaining sealed the win at Gillette Stadium.
—Brendan Connelly, Chicago Tribune, 24 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for tiebreaker
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Sean Gregory, Time, 7 June 2025
If they still can’t be separated after this, then various other tiebreakers will be applied, all the way down to the drawing of lots.
—Will Jeanes, New York Times, 6 June 2025
Marseille beats Milan 1-0 at Munich. 1994 — Haiti’s Ronald Agenor wins the longest match since the French Open adopted the tiebreaker.
—Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 26 May 2025
Sam Smith scored the tiebreaker with 5 minutes, 26 seconds left to cap the comeback, and goalie Delaney Sweitzer’s save with four seconds remaining sealed the win at Gillette Stadium.
—Brendan Connelly, Chicago Tribune, 24 May 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 19 Jun. 2025.
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