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

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

trifecta

I usually get the trifecta with the waffle, the scrambled eggs with cheese and the million-dollar bacon.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 10, 2026

This is the trifecta, Gromen predicts for China versus the U.S.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 24, 2026

Yet “Who Framed Roger Rabbit” got close to the truth by tapping into L.A.’s chaotic trifecta of of zealotry, naïveté and cynicism.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 1, 2026

That includes two in Indiana, the Louisville-area seat in Kentucky, the Kansas City district in Kansas, and, if they hold a trifecta this fall, a single district in New Hampshire.

From Salon ● May 1, 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

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