Tiebreaker: meaning, definitions and examples

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tiebreaker

 

[ ˈtaɪˌbreɪkər ]

Noun
Context #1 | Noun

in sports

A tiebreaker is a method used to determine a winner when a game or competition ends in a tie. It is often a shortened or modified version of the original game format, designed to produce a clear winner.

Synonyms

decider, sudden death

Examples of usage

  • The tennis match went into a tiebreaker to decide the winner.
  • They used a tiebreaker round to determine the champion.
Context #2 | Noun

in group decision-making

A tiebreaker is a process or rule used to make a decision when two or more options receive the same number of votes or support. It is often a simple and quick way to break the deadlock.

Synonyms

casting vote, deciding vote

Examples of usage

  • The chairperson used a tiebreaker to break the voting deadlock.
  • We had to resort to a tiebreaker to choose the winning proposal.

Translations

Translations of the word "tiebreaker" in other languages:

🇵🇹 desempate

🇮🇳 टाईब्रेकर

🇩🇪 Entscheidungsspiel

🇮🇩 penentu seri

🇺🇦 тайбрейк

🇵🇱 dogrywka

🇯🇵 タイブレーカー (taiburēkā)

🇫🇷 brise-égalité

🇪🇸 desempate

🇹🇷 beraberlik bozucu

🇰🇷 타이브레이커 (taibeureikeo)

🇸🇦 كسر التعادل (kasr al-ta'adul)

🇨🇿 rozhodující zápas

🇸🇰 rozhodujúci zápas

🇨🇳 决胜局 (juéshèngjú)

🇸🇮 odločilni dvoboj

🇮🇸 jafnteflisbrot

🇰🇿 шешуші матч

🇬🇪 გადამწყვეტი თამაში (gadamyts'q'veti t'amashi)

🇦🇿 həlledici oyun

🇲🇽 desempate

Word origin

The term 'tiebreaker' originated in the context of sports competitions, where it was first used in the mid-20th century to refer to a method of breaking a tie in a game. Over time, the concept of tiebreakers has been adopted in various fields, including group decision-making and voting processes. The word itself combines 'tie' and 'breaker,' emphasizing its function of breaking a tie or deadlock. Today, tiebreakers are commonly used to ensure a clear outcome in situations where a tie or draw would otherwise occur.

See also: tie, tier, ties, tying, untie.