trifecta

American  

[trahy-fek-tuh] / ˈtraɪˌfɛk tə /

noun

1. Sports.

   1. a type of bet, especially on horse races, in which the bettor must select the first three finishers in exact order.

   2. a race in which such bets are made.

2. a group, set, or series of three; a triad.

   Plain yogurt is the perfect food, with its trifecta of carbs, protein, and fat.

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trifecta British  

/ traɪˈfɛktə /

noun

1. a form of betting in which the punter selects the first three place-winners in a horse race in the correct order

2. any achievement involving three successful outcomes

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Etymology

Origin of trifecta

First recorded in 1970–75; tri- + (per)fecta

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

trifecta

Arkansas-bound Braelyn Combe of Corona Santiago pulled off a distance trifecta, winning the 1,600 in 4:35.59, the 800 in 2:05.13 and anchoring the Sharks’ 4x800 relay, which won with a meet record time of 8:46.16.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 31, 2026

U.S. stock futures fell as major indexes pulled back from a trifecta of record closes in the last session, as investors pulled back from risk in response to escalating tensions.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 28, 2026

Yet it’s still a trifecta of record closes that hadn’t been achieved by the three major indexes since Oct.

From MarketWatch ● May 27, 2026

As resorts face shorter seasons because of warming weather, snow farming may be part of a new trifecta necessary for their operations: natural snow, manufactured snow, and stored snow.

From Slate ● Apr. 11, 2026

He said, “Lieutenant, you should know that the kid kind of hit the trifecta of troubles.”

From "The Truth as Told by Mason Buttle" by Leslie Connor