tie-in

American  

[tahy-in] / ˈtaɪˌɪn /

adjective

1. pertaining to or designating a sale in which the buyer in order to get the item desired must also purchase one or more other, usually undesired, items.

2. of or relating to two or more products advertised, marketed, or sold together.

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noun

1. an arrangement or campaign whereby related products are promoted, marketed, or sold together.

   a book and movie tie-in.

2. a tie-in sale or advertisement.

3. an item in a tie-in sale or advertisement.

4. any direct or indirect link, relationship, or connection.

   There is a tie-in between smoking and cancer.

tie in British  

verb

1. to come or bring into a certain relationship; coordinate

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noun

1. a link, relationship, or coordination

2. publicity material, a book, tape, etc, linked to a film or broadcast programme or series

3. 1. a sale or advertisement offering products of which a purchaser must buy one or more in addition to his purchase

   2. an item sold or advertised in this way, esp the extra item

   3. ( as modifier )

      a tie-in sale

tie in Idioms  

1. Connect closely with, coordinate, as in They are trying to tie in the movie promotion with the book it is based on, or His story does not tie in with the facts. [First half of 1900s]

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Etymology

Origin of tie-in

First recorded in 1920–25; adj., noun use of verb phrase tie in

Example Sentences

Most of the current book sales are for the original paperback edition, though a movie tie-in with Gosling on the cover is also contributing, as are some hardcover volumes.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026

Strong performances from major franchises including an "Avatar" tie-in game and juggernaut "Assassin's Creed" buttressed struggling French games giant Ubisoft's third-quarter results, the company said Thursday.

From Barron's • Feb. 12, 2026

Also, a T-Mobile tie-in commercial that could have been confused for a sketch featured Kenan Thompson and Marcello Hernández singing the virtues of fast mobile internet.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 26, 2025

Unknown 9: Awakening, is part of an attempt to launch a new franchise, with other tie-in works planned to build out the game's universe.

From BBC • Oct. 16, 2024

I remember calling out to a certain second grader who was reading a Star Wars tie-in comic on the tire swing.

From "Kwame Crashes the Underworld" by Craig Kofi Farmer