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• hat trick
  hat trick

  noun

  the knocking off by one bowler of three wickets with three successive pitches.
• hat-trick
  hat-trick

  noun

  cricket the achievement of a bowler in taking three wickets with three successive balls

hat trick

American  

[hat trik] / ˈhæt ˌtrɪk /

noun

1. Cricket. the knocking off by one bowler of three wickets with three successive pitches.

2. Ice Hockey, Soccer. three goals scored by one player in one game.

   He was the only athlete in our school’s history to achieve a hat trick in both hockey and soccer.

3. Baseball. three like feats executed by one player in one game, especially three home runs.

   In last night’s game, Marley performed a most unusual hat trick, with his three unassisted double plays.

4. a series of three related successes or accomplishments, especially when achieved one after the other and in close proximity.

   Once again, Kay won the blue ribbons for dill pickles, bread-and-butter pickles, and pickled beets—her annual pickle hat trick!

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hat-trick British  

noun

1. cricket the achievement of a bowler in taking three wickets with three successive balls

2. any achievement of three points, victories, awards, etc within a given period, esp three goals scored by the same player in a soccer match

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hat trick Cultural  

1. In some sports, such as ice hockey, three goals by one player in a single game: “Lemieux scores for the third time tonight; he finally has the hat trick he's been looking for all season.”

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hat trick Idioms  

1. An extremely clever or adroit maneuver, as in It looked as though the party was going to achieve a hat trick in this election. The term originated in cricket, where it refers to three wickets taken by a bowler in three consecutive balls, traditionally rewarded with the presentation of a hat. It later was transferred to ice hockey, soccer, and baseball, where it denotes three consecutive successes (goals, hits), and then to more general use.

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Discover More

The phrase originally referred to a hat traditionally given to a cricket player who scored three wickets, or goals.

By extension, a hat trick is an outstanding performance by an individual, or a particularly clever or adroit maneuver: “She pulled off a hat trick with her presentation to the committee.”

Etymology

Origin of hat trick

First recorded in 1865–70; so called because formerly such a cricket bowler was rewarded with a hat

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

hat trick hat-trick

Argentina’s No. 10 stayed on the pitch long enough to score two more goals and finish the 3-0 victory with a hat trick.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 2, 2026

We wanted the city to shine, and it has — from nearby Lawrence’s enthusiastic adoption of Algeria to Messi’s historic hat trick at Kansas City Stadium.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 1, 2026

The buzz: Argentina opened its World Cup title defense with a 3-0 win over Algeria on a hat trick from Lionel Messi.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 21, 2026

A win for Album of the Year would complete her hat trick of top awards.

From Barron's ● Feb. 1, 2026

“Trip, what’s this I hear about a hat trick in yesterday’s game?”

From "Little Fires Everywhere" by Celeste Ng

Fontaine scored a hat-trick in a remarkable 7-3 victory over Paraguay in France's Group Two opener, and that lit the blue touch-paper.

From BBC ● Jul. 13, 2026

Replacement Henry Pollock scored a second-half hat-trick as England cruised to victory and ended a five-Test losing streak against an ill-disciplined and disjointed Fiji in Liverpool.

From BBC ● Jul. 11, 2026

Geoff Hurst hit a hat-trick - the only one for a winning team in a World Cup final.

From BBC ● Jul. 6, 2026

Then came a hat-trick against Spain in a group stage match in Sochi in 2018 followed, five days later, by the winner against Morocco in Moscow.

From BBC ● Jul. 6, 2026

What led me to revolt was T.-T.'s hat-trick.

From Punch, or the London Charivari, Volume 159, August 11, 1920 by Seaman, Owen, Sir