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 third-place finisher also reveals where his potential tiebreaker vote would have gone.
—Dalton Ross, EW.com, 23 May 2024
If the season ended today, Maryland would be the No. 7 seed in the conference tournament courtesy of tiebreakers over Ohio State (26-23, 10-11) and Michigan State (22-25, 10-11).
—Edward Lee, Baltimore Sun, 16 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for tiebreaker 
Dalton Ross, EW.com, 23 May 2024
If the season ended today, Maryland would be the No. 7 seed in the conference tournament courtesy of tiebreakers over Ohio State (26-23, 10-11) and Michigan State (22-25, 10-11).
—Edward Lee, Baltimore Sun, 16 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for tiebreaker
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'tiebreaker.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near tiebreaker
Cite this Entry
“Tiebreaker.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tiebreaker. Accessed 1 Jun. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share