tie

American  

[tahy] / taɪ /

verb (used with object)

• ties,
  present (3rd person singular)
• tied,
  past participle,  past
• tying
  present participle

1. to bind, fasten, or attach with a cord, string, or the like, drawn together and knotted.

   to tie a tin can on a dog's tail.

   Antonyms:

   loosen, loose

2. to draw together the parts of with a knotted string or the like.

   to tie a bundle tight.

3. to fasten by tightening and knotting the string or strings of.

   to tie one's shoes.

4. to draw or fasten together into a knot, as a cord.

   to tie one's shoelace.

5. to form by looping and interlacing, as a knot or bow.

6. to fasten, join, or connect in any way.

   Synonyms:

   lock, yoke, knit, link, unite

7. Angling. to design and make (an artificial fly).

8. to bind or join closely or firmly.

   Great affection tied them.

9. Informal. to unite in marriage.

10. to confine, restrict, or limit.

    The weather tied him to the house.

11. to bind or oblige, as to do something.

    Synonyms:

    constrain, obligate

12. to make the same score as; equal in a contest.

13. Music. to connect (notes) by a tie.

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verb (used without object)

• ties,
  present (3rd person singular)
• tied,
  past participle,  past
• tying
  present participle

1. to make a tie, bond, or connection.

2. to make or be the same score; be equal in a contest.

   The teams tied for first place in the league.

noun

• ties
  plural

1. that with which anything is tied.

2. a cord, string, or the like, used for tying, fastening, binding, or wrapping something.

   Synonyms:

   ligature, band, rope

3. a necktie.

   Synonyms:

   cravat

4. a low shoe fastened with a lace.

5. a knot, especially an ornamental one; bow.

6. anything that fastens, secures, or unites.

7. a bond or connection, as of affection, kinship, mutual interest, or between two or more people, groups, nations, or the like.

   family ties; the ties between Britain and the U.S.

8. a state of equality in the result of a contest, as in points scored, votes obtained, etc., among competitors.

   The game ended in a tie.

9. a match or contest in which this occurs.

10. any of various structural members, as beams or rods, for keeping two objects, as rafters or the haunches of an arch, from spreading or separating.

11. Music. a curved line connecting two notes on the same line or space to indicate that the sound is to be sustained for their joint value, not repeated.

12. especially British, sleeper. Railroads. any of a number of closely spaced transverse beams, usually of wood, for holding the rails forming a track at the proper distance from each other and for transmitting train loads to the ballast and roadbed.

13. bride.

14. Surveying. a measurement made to determine the position of a survey station with respect to a reference mark or other isolated point.

verb phrase

1. tie in

   1. to connect or be connected; be consistent.

      His story ties in with the facts.

   2. Surveying. to establish the position of (a point not part of a survey control).

   3. to make a tie-in, especially in advertising or a sale.

      The paperback book is tied in with the movie of the same title.

2. tie up

   1. to fasten securely by tying.

   2. to wrap; bind.

   3. to hinder; impede.

   4. to bring to a stop; make inactive.

   5. to invest or place (money) in such a way as to render unavailable for other uses.

   6. to place (property) under such conditions or restrictions as to prevent sale or alienation.

   7. to moor a ship.

   8. to engage or occupy completely.

      I can't see you now, I'm all tied up.

3. tie off to tie a cord or suture around (a vein, blood vessel, or the like) so as to stop the flow within.

4. tie down to limit one's activities; confine; curtail.

   He finds that a desk job ties him down.

idioms

1. tie one on, to get drunk.

   Charlie sure tied one on last night!

2. tie the knot. knot.

tie British  

/ taɪ /

verb

1. to fasten or be fastened with string, thread, etc

2. to make (a knot or bow) in (something)

   to tie a knot

   tie a ribbon

3. (tr) to restrict or secure

4. to equal the score of a competitor or fellow candidate

5. informal (tr) to unite in marriage

6. music

   1. to execute (two successive notes of the same pitch) as though they formed one note of composite time value

   2. to connect (two printed notes) with a tie

7. slang very angry or upset

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noun

1. a bond, link, or fastening

2. a restriction or restraint

3. a string, wire, ribbon, etc, with which something is tied

4. US name: necktie. a long narrow piece of material worn, esp by men, under the collar of a shirt, tied in a knot close to the throat with the ends hanging down the front

5. 1. an equality in score, attainment, etc, in a contest

   2. the match or competition in which such a result is attained

6. a structural member carrying tension, such as a tie beam or tie rod

7. sport a match or game in an eliminating competition

   a cup tie

8. (usually plural) a shoe fastened by means of laces

9. the US and Canadian name for sleeper

10. music a slur connecting two notes of the same pitch indicating that the sound is to be prolonged for their joint time value

11. surveying one of two measurements running from two points on a survey line to a point of detail to fix its position

12. lacemaking another name for bride 2

Synonym Usage

See bond ¹.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• undertie
  noun
• retie
  verb (used with object)
• undertie
  verb (used with object)
• well-tied
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• ties
  plural

Participles

• tying
  present
• tied
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• tie
  simple
• ties
  simple
• have tied
  perfect
• has tied
  perfect
• am tying
  progressive
• are tying
  progressive
• is tying
  progressive
• have been tying
  perfect progressive
• has been tying
  perfect progressive

Past

• tied
  simple
• had tied
  perfect
• was tying
  progressive
• were tying
  progressive
• had been tying
  perfect progressive

Future

• will tie
  simple
• will have tied
  perfect
• will be tying
  progressive
• will have been tying
  perfect progressive

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Etymology

Origin of tie

First recorded before 900; (noun) Middle English te(i)gh “cord, rope,” Old English tēagh, tēgh, cognate with Old Norse taug rope; (verb) Middle English tien, Old English tīgan, derivative of the noun; compare Old Norse teygja “to draw”; see tug, tow ¹

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Explanation

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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

tie ties tied tying

Between Lightfoot and Gord Downie and countless others, rock and folk music genuinely tie Canadian cultural identity together.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 5, 2026

Fiebig wore an off-the-shoulder lace gown, and Shue wore a black suit without a tie, the photos showed.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 2, 2026

There was a late-season upset with King/Drew losing to Dorsey 22-6 on Friday night, creating a three-way tie for first place in the Coliseum League with Crenshaw and Dorsey.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 31, 2026

Fourteen-year-old Jayden Walker, a year 10 pupil from Dorset, threw off a school blazer and tie to reveal his darts outfit and, as the third-highest ranked player, threatened to cause a huge shock.

From BBC ● Oct. 30, 2026

“Three for, three against, one abstained. Seems we have a tie, Quinzy.”

From "The Interrupted Tale" by Maryrose Wood

One more point from their remaining two matches will secure a place in the two-legged quarter-finals in March, with the winners of those ties advancing to the Nations League Finals in June.

From BBC ● Nov. 6, 2026

The months-long blazes have engulfed huge tracts of land and produced air pollution that has harmed human health, drifted across borders and frayed Indonesia's ties with its neighbours.

From Barron's ● Nov. 6, 2026

Continental’s shares rose after the German tire maker brightened its outlook for the full year, looking to steady growth in Europe by forging ties with Chinese car manufacturers.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 5, 2026

During the trial this week, Brand detailed the “devastating” toll of the allegations, claiming friends and collaborators cut ties and that no one with relevant evidence was wiling to testify on his behalf.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 5, 2026

I smell the reek of creosote, the stuff that soaks the railroad ties.

From "Beast Rider" by Tony Johnston & María Elena Fontanot de Rhoads

His victories were tied less to principles than to personal charisma.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 6, 2026

For better or for worse, it’s forever tied to Callie and her free, self-possessed spirit.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 6, 2026

The US Treasury Department announced sanctions on Thursday on four people and 41 companies tied to the Prince Group, a Cambodian firm accused of running a billion-dollar scam operation.

From Barron's ● Nov. 6, 2026

Her roots are closely tied to LA and its history, even working as a community organiser during the violent 1992 riots over police brutality in the beating of Rodney King, who was black.

From BBC ● Nov. 5, 2026

I let go of the railing, tied back my hair and wiped the tears from my face.

From "Code Name Kingfisher" by Liz Kessler

This year still has a "20 percent chance of tying or exceeding" 2024 as the warmest ever seen, the Copernicus Climate Change Service said in a monthly bulletin.

From Barron's ● Nov. 6, 2026

The only way he could be stopped from tying up the title is if one of Russell and Hamilton wins.

From BBC ● Oct. 29, 2026

Officials in recent weeks privately acknowledged that the idea of tying disparate threads together in one big conspiracy isn’t practical, and have begun pursuing what they say are narrower but related criminal cases.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 23, 2026

Jim Carrey is bidding farewell to his sprawling Hawaii waterfront retreat, listing the tropical property for $35 million just days after tying the knot with his longtime partner, Min Ah.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 13, 2026

Loki irritated the goat even more by tying a strong rope tightly around its beard.

From "Norse Mythology" by Neil Gaiman

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Related Words

• attach
• clinch
• join
• knot
• link
• secure

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