tied; tying
ˈtī-iŋ 
or tieing
or tieing
1
a
: to fasten, attach, or close by means of a tie
b
: to form a knot or bow in
tie your scarf
c
: to make by tying constituent elements
tied a wreath
tie a fishing fly
2
a
: to place or establish in relationship : connect
b
: to unite in marriage
c
: to unite (musical notes) by a tie
d
: to join (power systems) electrically
3
: to restrain from independence or freedom of action or choice : constrain by or as if by authority, influence, agreement, or obligation
4
a(1)
: to make or have an equal score with in a contest
(2)
: to equalize (the score) in a game or contest
(3)
: to equalize the score of (a game)
b
: to provide or offer something equal to : equal
: to make a tie: such as
a
: to make a bond or connection
b
: to make an equal score
c
: to become attached
d
: to close by means of a tie
1
a
: a line, ribbon, or cord used for fastening, uniting, or drawing something closed
especially
: shoelace
b(1)
: a structural element (such as a rod or angle iron) holding two pieces together : a tension member in a construction
(2)
: any of the transverse supports to which railroad rails are fastened to keep them in line
2
: something that serves as a connecting link: such as
a
: a moral or legal obligation to someone or something typically constituting a restraining power, influence, or duty
b
: a bond of kinship or affection
3
: a curved line that joins two musical notes of the same pitch to denote a single tone sustained through the time value of the two
4
a
: an equality in number (as of votes or scores)
b
: equality in a contest
also
: a contest that ends in a draw
5
: a method or style of tying or knotting
Synonyms
Examples of tie in a Sentence
Verb
His kidnappers tied him to a chair.
She tied a scarf around her neck.
She tied knots in the rope.
You need to tie your shoe.
His hands and feet had been tied together.
She tied the apron loosely around her waist.
The team still has a chance to tie.
I had the lead but he tied me by making a birdie on the last hole.
Her time tied the world record.
He tied the school's record in the high jump.
Noun
He was wearing a suit and tie.
You have a spot on your tie.
The pants have a tie at the top.
He was not ready to accept the ties of family life.
Recent Examples on the Web
Rob Pegoraro, PCMAG, 11 Nov. 2024
The Niners enter Sunday tied with the Rams for second in the NFC West at 4-4.
—Michael Nowels, The Mercury News, 10 Nov. 2024
Bennett Durando, The Denver Post, 10 Nov. 2024
Beyoncé topped out with 11 nominations, a new record for her (and breaking her out of a tie with husband Jay-Z for the most Grammy nods ever, at 99).
—Justin Curto, Vulture, 8 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for tie 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Verb
Boost’s fastest downloads, up to 1Gbps, come on phones such as Samsung’s Galaxy S24 that support four-channel carrier aggregation, in which the network ties multiple 5G channels together to maximize throughput.
—Rob Pegoraro, PCMAG, 11 Nov. 2024
The Niners enter Sunday tied with the Rams for second in the NFC West at 4-4.
—Michael Nowels, The Mercury News, 10 Nov. 2024
Noun
Peyton Watson contested one of them to give Denver (7-3) a chance to break the tie.
—Bennett Durando, The Denver Post, 10 Nov. 2024
Beyoncé topped out with 11 nominations, a new record for her (and breaking her out of a tie with husband Jay-Z for the most Grammy nods ever, at 99).
—Justin Curto, Vulture, 8 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for tie
Dictionary Entries Near tie
Cite this Entry
“Tie.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tie. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
tie
1 of 2 noun1
: a line, ribbon, or cord used for fastening, uniting, or drawing something closed
2
a
: a structural part (as a beam) holding two pieces together
b
: one of the cross supports to which railroad rails are fastened
3
: a bond of kinship or affection
family ties
4
: a curved line joining two musical notes of the same pitch and used to indicate a single tone sustained through the time value of the two notes
5
a
: an equality in number : deadlock
the game ended in a tie
b
: a contest that ends with an equal score
6
: necktie
tie
2 of 2 verb
tied; tying
ˈtī-iŋ
or tieing
or tieing
1
a
: to fasten, attach, or close by means of a tie
b
: to form a knot or bow in
tie your scarf
2
: to limit the freedom or actions of
responsibilities tied us down
3
a
: to make or have an equal score with in a contest
the two teams tied
b
: to come up with something equal to
tied the score
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