A tiebreaker is an extra round, question, or method used to determine a winner when competitors are tied. When two teams finish a tournament with identical records, they might play one final game as a tiebreaker. When spelling bee contestants both spell every word correctly, the judges might use a tiebreaker word that's especially difficult.

Tiebreakers exist because most competitions need clear winners. In tennis, if players reach 6 games to 6 in a set, they play a tiebreaker where the first to reach 7 points (with a 2-point lead) wins. In soccer tournaments, when teams are tied after regular play, they might use a penalty shootout as a tiebreaker.

The specific method varies by situation. A trivia contest might use the speed of correct answers as a tiebreaker. A science fair might send the tied projects to additional judges. Some classroom contests use rock-paper-scissors or a coin flip when a more elaborate tiebreaker isn't practical.

The word can describe both the method itself and the actual round or question used: “We need a tiebreaker” means we need a way to break the tie, while “Here's your tiebreaker question” introduces that decisive moment.