tie
tie — noun
- tiesingular
- tiesplural
1. A strip of coloured fabric worn by men and boys around the neck, passed beneath
A strip of coloured fabric worn by men and boys around the neck, passed beneath the collar points and gathered into a visible knot at the throat.
Nikos wore a blue silk tie to his cousin's wedding.
collocation: silk tie / striped tie / knitted tie
Theo loosened his tie and unbuttoned his collar after the long meeting.
The shop assistant showed Imran how to knot a silk tie properly before his first job interview.
At formal dinners, men are usually expected to wear a jacket and tie.
文法句型
wear + tie
knot + tie
loosen + tie
2. A piece of string, wire, or plastic used to close a bag, bundle, or container, o
A piece of string, wire, or plastic used to close a bag, bundle, or container, or to hold objects together.
Quan sealed the bread bag with a plastic twist tie.
collocation: twist tie / cable tie / zip tie
The gardener used a rubber tie to keep the bundle of sticks together.
Nala pulled the drawstring tie tight on her gym bag before leaving.
The florist fastened the bouquet with a green plastic tie before wrapping it in paper.
文法句型
plastic/cable/wire + tie
tie + around + object
用法筆記
Often combined with a material word to form a compound noun: 'twist tie', 'cable tie', 'zip tie'.
3. A strong connection between people, groups, or countries based on shared feeling
A strong connection between people, groups, or countries based on shared feelings, family links, or common interests.
Close ties between the Yamadas and Chens go back three generations to a Taipei shop.
collocation: close ties / family ties / strong ties
Mizuki still feels a deep tie to the small village where she grew up.
Trade ties between Thailand and Vietnam grew stronger after the two governments signed a tariff-reduction agreement in 2023.
Despite living far apart, the sisters kept their family ties alive through weekly video calls.
- bond
Emphasises an emotional or affectionate connection; 'bond' can feel warmer
- link
More neutral; can refer to both human connections and logical connections
- relationship
Broader term; includes business and formal connections, not just personal ones
- separation
Being apart from someone or something, with no ties between them
文法句型
ties + between + plural_noun
ties + with + noun
strong/close/family + ties
用法筆記
Very common in the plural form 'ties'. The singular 'tie' is used more for emotional attachment to a place than to a person.
常見錯誤
4. A result in a contest where competitors end up with identical scores.
A result in a contest where competitors end up with identical scores.
The football match ended in a one–one tie after extra time.
collocation: end in a tie
If there is a tie after the final round, the two players will play a sudden-death hole.
Andrés broke the tie with a last-second basket and won the game for his team.
The election resulted in a tie, so the votes had to be counted again.
文法句型
end in a tie
break a tie
tie + for + position
用法筆記
In British English, 'draw' is more common for football and some other sports. 'Tie' is preferred in American English and in contexts like competitions, votes, and golf.
常見錯誤
5. A curved symbol used in printed music to join two notes of matching pitch, showi
A curved symbol used in printed music to join two notes of matching pitch, showing the player to hold the tone for the total length covered by both notes together.
The music teacher showed the class how to read a tie connecting two half notes.
When you see a tie in the sheet music, hold the key down for the combined value of both notes.
usage: tie vs slur — same pitch vs different pitches
Élise played the tied notes smoothly without lifting her fingers from the piano keys.
The choir director explained that the tie connects two notes of the same pitch into one longer sound.
- bind
An older term for the same musical notation, now less common
文法句型
tie + between + notes
tie + connecting + notes
用法筆記
Do not confuse a 'tie' with a 'slur'. A tie connects two notes of the same pitch to make one longer note. A slur connects notes of different pitches and tells the musician to play them smoothly.
tie — verb
- tiepresent simple I / you / we / they
- tieshe / she / it
- tiedpast simple
- tying-ing form
1. To close or hold things together by wrapping cord, wire, or similar material aro
To close or hold things together by wrapping cord, wire, or similar material around them and then fastening the ends securely to each other.
Noa knelt down and tied her shoelaces before running onto the field.
Theo tied the rope around the tree trunk to keep the tent from blowing away.
transitive: tie + object + around/with
Can you help me tie this ribbon into a neat bow for the gift box.
The apron ties at the back with two long cotton strings.
Yasmin tied her hair back with a simple black band before starting work.
文法句型
tie + object + adverb/preposition
tie + object + to + object
tie (intransitive: how something closes)
用法筆記
When the object is a knot or bow, 'tie' is still the correct verb ('tie a knot', 'tie a bow'). For openings that close with their own attached ties (aprons, robes, shoes), the intransitive pattern '[item] ties [location]' is common.
常見錯誤
2. To be closely linked or related to someone or something; to create or show a rel
To be closely linked or related to someone or something; to create or show a relationship between two or more things.
The recent jump in sales at Kenji’s bakery is closely tied to the new social media advertising campaign.
passive: be tied to [something]
DNA from a coffee cup tied Tendai to the bank robbery on Maple Street.
Quan's job as a translator ties him closely to the international community in the city.
Arjun's love for photography is deeply tied to the afternoons he spent in his grandfather's darkroom.
文法句型
be tied to + noun
tie + object + to + object
tie + object + together
tie + object + in with + noun
用法筆記
Very common in the passive voice ('be tied to'). The subject is often an abstract noun (price, success, happiness, outcome) and the pattern 'tie A to B' implies a causal or logical link.
常見錯誤
3. To end a match or contest with a score equal to that of an opposing player or si
To end a match or contest with a score equal to that of an opposing player or side.
The two teams tied for first place in the national championship.
tie for [position]
Noa tied with Andrés in the chess tournament after a long match.
If the score is still tied after extra time, the match goes to a penalty shootout.
Japan tied the score in the final minute of the game with a brilliant goal.
文法句型
tie with + opponent
tie for + position
be tied (passive)
tie + the score
用法筆記
Can be used both intransitively ('the teams tied') and transitively ('they tied the score'). The phrase 'tie for [position]' is very common in competition contexts such as exams, tournaments, and awards.
常見錯誤
4. To join two notes of the same pitch with a curved mark so that they are played a
To join two notes of the same pitch with a curved mark so that they are played as a single long note whose duration equals the combined time of both notes.
In the second measure, the composer tied the quarter note to the eighth note.
transitive: tie + note + to + note
The pianist knew exactly which notes to tie and which to play as separate, distinct sounds.
During piano practice, Élise focused on the part where half notes are tied across the bar to sustain the melody.
To perform the piece accurately, the violinist marked every group of tied notes in red pencil.
文法句型
tie + note + to + note
tied note
用法筆記
This is a technical term in music notation. The curved line is also called a 'tie'. Do not confuse this verb with 'slur', which connects different pitches and means play smoothly.
5. To stop someone from acting as they wish by placing them under a fixed obligatio
To stop someone from acting as they wish by placing them under a fixed obligation or within a fixed situation.
Her job at the hospital ties her to the building for twelve hours a day.
tie + to + place/time
Imran felt tied down by the strict rules at his boarding school.
The five-year contract ties the Tanaka electronics company to a single battery supplier, locking it into that deal until 2029.
Raising three young children ties Nala to the house most of the day.
文法句型
be tied to + noun (place/obligation)
tie + object + down
tie + object + to + noun
用法筆記
Often used with the particle 'down' ('tie down') to emphasise restriction. The passive 'be tied to' is very common when describing an obligation or constraint that feels inescapable.