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.
of or relating to two or more products advertised, marketed, or sold together.
an arrangement or campaign whereby related products are promoted, marketed, or sold together.
a book and movie tie-in.
a tie-in sale or advertisement.
an item in a tie-in sale or advertisement.
any direct or indirect link, relationship, or connection.
There is a tie-in between smoking and cancer.
a link, relationship, or coordination
publicity material, a book, tape, etc, linked to a film or broadcast programme or series
a sale or advertisement offering products of which a purchaser must buy one or more in addition to his purchase
an item sold or advertised in this way, esp the extra item
( as modifier )
a tie-in sale
First recorded in 1920–25; adj., noun use of verb phrase tie in
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Burger King, which has embarked on a multi-year comeback effort — the struggling chain recently updated its Whopper — has looked to tie-in programs as a way to attract families.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 22, 2026
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
Like the last time, Coates didn’t give a name, but he said something even more intriguing: “The sheriff is my tie-in to the state attorney general because he’s friends.”
From Salon ● Jan. 7, 2025
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
The last time England faced Argentina in a World Cup knockout tie, in 1998, one Ayrshire factory capitalised on the fixture by manufacturing the famous blue and white jerseys.
From BBC ● Jul. 14, 2026
Suit and tie in a heatwave, head down, reading out his prepared lines about the games at the event in Chatham House, welcoming Uganda as a new member country.
From BBC ● Jul. 7, 2026
Researcher Gary Marcus said he saw the United States and China battling to a "tie" in the AI race -- until Friday's government announcement.
From Barron's ● Jun. 14, 2026
That same year, an unprecedented second-place tie in Northern California forced a recount that took almost two months to sort out.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 2, 2026
Ms. Gruwell thought it would tie in to what we had been learning in class.
From "The Freedom Writers Diary" by The Freedom Writers
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
