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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

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

Messi’s hat trick was a noisy rebuke to the skeptics who worry he’s lost a step, who think his sunny coda with the MLS’s Inter Miami is akin to a sun-tanned semiretirement.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 17, 2026

Its best player, captain Kylian Mbappé, holds the tournament record with four goals in World Cup finals, including a hat trick in Qatar four years ago.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 16, 2026

The stock market needs a hat trick of things to happen for it to score big this week—interest-rate cuts, strong earnings, and a U.S.-China trade deal.

From Barron's ● Oct. 27, 2025

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

From "Little Fires Everywhere" by Celeste Ng

He then followed up with a quick-fire hat-trick in a 4–1 away victory over Istanbul Basaksehir in the Conference League last 16.

From BBC ● Aug. 2, 2026

That hat-trick was completed within three minutes and 25 seconds, at the time a record in Uefa club competitions.

From BBC ● Aug. 2, 2026

The star was Joao Pedro, who scored a nine-minute hat-trick to help Alonso's side to a 6-4 win against Western Sydney Wanderers in a match that highlighted the gulf between Premier League and A-League teams.

From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026

With France threatening an unlikely turnaround after the break, Saka completed his hat-trick from the penalty spot to restore England's two-goal cushion.

From BBC ● Jul. 19, 2026

The "double hat-trick" was six consecutive wickets, the last six, all clean bowled.

From The Wonder by Beresford, J. D. (John Davys)