tie

A tie is a thin piece of cloth that's knotted around the neck, an accessory worn by men on formal occasions. You may wear a tie to graduation, a wedding, or if you're just trying to impress someone.

If the score of a game is equal, then the game is a tie. Some games, like chess, can actually end in a tie, but other games, like basketball, continue until there's a winner. You can also use the word tie as a verb: "Looks like the game will tie at two apiece." As a verb, tie also means to fasten two or more things together, like when you tie your shoelaces or your tie.

Definitions of tie
  1. verb
    fasten or secure with a rope, string, or cord
    synonyms: bind
    see moresee less
    Antonyms:
    unbrace, unlace, untie
    undo the ties of
    types:
    show 16 types...
    hide 16 types...
    gag, muzzle
    tie a gag around someone's mouth in order to silence them
    retie
    tie again or anew
    bind off, tie up
    finish the last row
    loop
    fasten or join with a loop
    cord
    bind or tie with a cord
    lash together
    bind together with a cord or rope
    truss
    tie the wings and legs of a bird before cooking it
    leash, rope
    fasten with a rope
    strap
    tie with a strap
    knot
    tie or fasten into a knot
    lash
    bind with a rope, chain, or cord
    band
    bind or tie together, as with a band
    lace, lace up
    draw through eyes or holes
    hobble, hopple
    strap the foreleg and hind leg together on each side (of a horse) in order to keep the legs on the same side moving in unison
    frap
    make secure by lashing
    relace
    lace again
    type of:
    fasten, fix, secure
    cause to be firmly attached
  2. verb
    connect, fasten, or put together two or more pieces
    “Tie the ropes together”
    synonyms: connect, link, link up
    see moresee less
    Antonyms:
    disconnect
    make disconnected, disjoin or unfasten
    types:
    show 75 types...
    hide 75 types...
    conjoin, join
    make contact or come together
    ground
    connect to a ground
    bring together, join
    cause to become joined or linked
    attach
    cause to be attached
    daisy-chain
    connect devices on a part of a chip or circuit board in a computer
    interconnect, interlink
    cause to be interconnected or interwoven
    tee
    connect with a tee
    put through
    connect by telephone
    hitch
    connect to a vehicle: "hitch the trailer to the car"
    hang together, interdepend
    be connected
    bridge, bridge over
    connect or reduce the distance between
    ancylose, ankylose
    produce ankylosis by surgery
    fix, fixate
    make fixed, stable or stationary
    connect
    join for the purpose of communication
    connect
    join by means of communication equipment
    feather
    join tongue and groove, in carpentry
    tether
    tie with a tether
    fasten
    attach to
    attach
    become attached
    cross-link
    join by creating covalent bonds (of adjacent chains of a polymer or protein)
    miter
    fit together in a miter joint
    ply
    join together as by twisting, weaving, or molding
    close, close up
    unite or bring into contact or bring together the edges of
    anastomose, inosculate
    cause to join or open into each other by anastomosis
    anastomose, inosculate
    come together or open into each other
    earth
    connect to the earth
    couple, match, mate, pair, twin
    bring two objects, ideas, or people together
    match
    give or join in marriage
    mortice, mortise
    join by a tenon and mortise
    cog
    join pieces of wood with cogs
    fair
    join so that the external surfaces blend smoothly
    scarf
    unite by a scarf joint
    rebate
    join with a rebate
    rabbet
    join with a rabbet joint
    seam
    put together with a seam
    bridge
    make a bridge across
    hinge
    attach with a hinge
    bell
    attach a bell to
    band, ring
    attach a ring to the foot of, in order to identify
    couple, couple on, couple up
    link together
    affix
    attach or become attached to a stem word
    bind
    make fast; tie or secure, with or as if with a rope
    catch, hitch
    to hook or entangle
    append, hang on, tack, tack on, tag on
    fix to; attach
    add on, affix, append, supplement
    add to the very end
    tape
    fasten or attach with tape
    glue, paste
    join or attach with or as if with glue
    pin down, pin up
    attach with or as if with a pin
    peg, peg down
    fasten or secure with a wooden pin
    fasten, fix, secure
    cause to be firmly attached
    mount
    attach to a support
    affix, stick on
    attach to
    nail
    attach something somewhere by means of nails
    hook up
    connect or link
    clip
    attach with a clip
    enter, infix, insert, introduce
    put or introduce into something
    yoke
    put a yoke on or join with a yoke
    harness, tackle
    put a harness
    link, yoke
    link with or as with a yoke
    yoke
    become joined or linked together
    saddle
    put a saddle on
    engraft, graft, ingraft
    cause to grow together parts from different plants
    splice
    join together so as to form new genetic combinations
    splice
    join the ends of
    label, mark, tag
    attach a tag or label to
    patch, piece
    to join or unite the pieces of
    solder
    join or fuse with solder
    weld
    join together by heating
    limber, limber up
    attach the limber
    close
    bring together all the elements or parts of
    ligate
    join letters in a ligature when writing
    assemble, piece, put together, set up, tack, tack together
    create by putting components or members together
    quilt
    stitch or sew together
    entwine, knit
    tie or link together
    sovietise, sovietize
    bring under Soviet control, of a country
  3. verb
    form a knot or bow in
    “tie a necktie”
    see moresee less
    type of:
    form, shape
    give shape or form to
  4. verb
    make by tying pieces together
    “The fishermen tied their flies”
    see moresee less
    type of:
    fashion, forge
    make out of components (often in an improvising manner)
  5. noun
    a cord (or string or ribbon or wire etc.) with which something is tied
    “he needed a tie for the packages”
    see moresee less
    types:
    drawing string, drawstring, string
    a tie consisting of a cord that goes through a seam around an opening
    purse string
    a drawstring used to close the mouth of a purse
    type of:
    cord
    a line made of twisted fibers or threads
  6. noun
    neckwear consisting of a long narrow piece of material worn (mostly by men) under a collar and tied in knot at the front
    “he wore a vest and tie”
    synonyms: necktie
    see moresee less
    types:
    show 8 types...
    hide 8 types...
    bola, bola tie, bolo, bolo tie
    a cord fastened around the neck with an ornamental clasp and worn as a necktie
    bow tie, bow-tie, bowtie
    a man's tie that ties in a bow
    four-in-hand
    a long necktie that is tied in a slipknot with one end hanging in front of the other
    old school tie
    necktie indicating the school the wearer attended
    string tie
    a very narrow necktie usually tied in a bow
    Windsor tie
    a wide necktie worn in a loose bow
    black tie
    a black bow tie worn with a dinner jacket
    white tie
    bow tie worn as part of a man's formal evening dress
    type of:
    neckwear
    articles of clothing worn about the neck
  7. noun
    a fastener that serves to join or connect
    synonyms: link, linkup, tie-in
    see moresee less
    types:
    bridge, nosepiece
    the link between two lenses; rests on the nose
    type of:
    fastener, fastening, fixing, holdfast
    restraint that attaches to something or holds something in place
  8. noun
    a horizontal beam used to prevent two other structural members from spreading apart or separating
    “he nailed the rafters together with a tie beam”
    synonyms: tie beam
    see moresee less
    type of:
    beam
    long thick piece of wood or metal or concrete, etc., used in construction
  9. noun
    one of the cross braces that support the rails on a railway track
    synonyms: crosstie, railroad tie, sleeper
    see moresee less
    type of:
    brace, bracing
    a structural member used to stiffen a framework
  10. verb
    finish a game with an equal number of points, goals, etc.
    synonyms: draw
    see moresee less
    type of:
    equal, equalise, equalize, equate, match
    make equal, uniform, corresponding, or matching
  11. noun
    equality of score in a contest
    see moresee less
    types:
    deuce
    a tie in tennis or table tennis that requires winning two successive points to win the game
    type of:
    equality, equation, equivalence, par
    a state of being essentially equal or equivalent; equally balanced
  12. noun
    the finish of a contest in which the score is tied and the winner is undecided
    “their record was 3 wins, 6 losses and a tie”
    synonyms: draw, standoff
    see moresee less
    types:
    dead heat
    a tie in a race
    stalemate
    drawing position in chess: any of a player's possible moves would place his king in check
    type of:
    finish
    designated event that concludes a contest (especially a race)
  13. verb
    create social or emotional ties
    synonyms: attach, bind, bond
    see moresee less
    types:
    fixate
    attach (oneself) to a person or thing in a neurotic way
    befriend
    become friends with
    chum up, pal, pal up
    become friends; act friendly towards
    type of:
    relate
    have or establish a relationship to
  14. verb
    perform a marriage ceremony
    synonyms: marry, splice, wed
    conjoin, espouse, get hitched with, get married, hook up with, marry, wed
    take in marriage
    see moresee less
    types:
    solemnise, solemnize
    perform (the wedding ceremony) with proper ceremonies
    type of:
    officiate
    act in an official capacity in a ceremony or religious ritual, such as a wedding
  15. noun
    a social or business relationship
    “he was sorry he had to sever his ties with other members of the team”
    synonyms: affiliation, association, tie-up
    see moresee less
    type of:
    relationship
    a state involving mutual dealings between people or parties or countries
  16. verb
    unite musical notes by a tie
    see moresee less
    type of:
    connect, link, link up
    connect, fasten, or put together two or more pieces
  17. noun
    (music) a curved line over two notes of the same pitch; indicates that the note is to be sustained for their combined time value
    see moresee less
    type of:
    slur
    (music) a curved line spanning notes that are to be played legato
  18. verb
    limit or restrict to
    “I am tied to UNIX”
    “These big jets are tied to large airports”
    see moresee less
    type of:
    bound, confine, limit, restrain, restrict, throttle, trammel
    place limits on (extent or access)
Word Family