hat trick
noun
People
Did you know?
It may surprise some people to learn that the term "hat trick" as it relates to sports actually originated in British cricket. A bowler who retired three batsmen with three consecutive balls was entitled to a new hat at the expense of the club to commemorate this feat. Eventually, the phrase was applied to a single player scoring three goals in any goal sport and later to three victories or successes in sports as different as horse racing and golf. The phrase finally broadened to include a string of three important successes or achievements in any field.
Examples of hat trick in a Sentence
Tyler McManus, Boston Herald, 25 Oct. 2025
Macklin Celebrini recorded his second career NHL hat trick and matched a career-high with five points, which included a key assist on Smith’s overtime winner, setting off a wild celebration for the previously winless Sharks (1-4-2).
—Curtis Pashelka, Mercury News, 24 Oct. 2025
The two sides just played on MLS Decision Day, with Messi ensuring the league’s Golden Boot would be his with a hat trick.
—Avi Creditor, New York Times, 23 Oct. 2025
For the second year in a row, Messi and Inter Miami, the most expensive and hyped team in Major League Soccer, the team others in the league loves to hate, heads into the playoffs on the heels of a hat trick by the Argentine star.
—Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 21 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hat trick
Cite this Entry
“Hat trick.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hat%20trick. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.
Copy Citation
Share