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Meaning & use

tie-breaker

noun·Everyday

Last updated

UK/ˈtaɪ ˌbreɪkə/
US/ˈtaɪ ˌbreɪkɚ/

Meanings

  1. nouncountablesport

    An extra contest, question or rule used to pick a winner when two or more competitors finish with the same score.

    Grammar: Often follows an or the: we needed a tie-breaker.

    Patterns

    • a tie-breaker between two teams
    • settle something with a tie-breaker

    The two quiz teams needed a tie-breaker to decide the champion.

    Goal difference is used as the tie-breaker in the league table.

    The match went to a tie-breaker after both players won a set.

  2. nouncountablefigurative

    Any fact or consideration that settles a difficult choice between options that otherwise seem equal.

    Grammar: Used figuratively outside games: the price was the tie-breaker.

    Patterns

    • the tie-breaker for something
    • serve as a tie-breaker

    Both flats were lovely, but the shorter commute was the tie-breaker.

    Her experience with children was the tie-breaker for the hiring panel.

    When the votes were split, the chairperson's opinion became the tie-breaker.

Word forms

pluraltie-breakers

Common combinations

use a tie-breaker
The judges used a tie-breaker based on speed.
decisive tie-breaker
Her last-minute goal was the decisive tie-breaker.
go to a tie-breaker
The final went to a tie-breaker for the first time.
win the tie-breaker
We won the tie-breaker by answering the music question first.
tie-breaker rule
The tie-breaker rule favors the team that scored more away goals.

Synonyms and how they differ

decider
Decider is a British term for the deciding game or point, while tie-breaker names the method used when scores are equal.
playoff
A playoff is a whole extra match between tied players, but a tie-breaker can be a single question, rule or point.
deciding factor
A deciding factor is a general reason that settles any choice, whereas tie-breaker implies the options were exactly level.

Word family

tie noun
a result where scores are equal
tie verb
to finish with the same score
tiebreak noun
the short form, especially in tennis
break verb
to end or interrupt something

Commonly confused: tie-breaker or tiebreak?

tie-breaker vs tiebreak

Tiebreak is the usual tennis term for a special game played at six games each, while tie-breaker is the broader word for any method of settling a tie.

Practice

Two job candidates scored the same in interviews. What would a tie-breaker be?

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