You're staring at the grid. The black and white squares are mocking you. It’s that one short answer—maybe three or four letters—that just won't click. You know the feeling. It’s the specific frustration of the when ties are broken briefly crossword clue.
Honestly, it’s a classic misdirection.
Crossword constructors like Will Shortz or the team over at the LA Times love this kind of wordplay because "ties" doesn't usually mean a score of 1-1 in a soccer match. In the world of cryptic and themed puzzles, a "tie" is often something you wear around your neck. Or maybe it’s a knot.
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If you’re stuck on this today, the answer is almost certainly OTS.
Wait, let's back up. Why OTS? It’s short for overtimes. In sports, when the score is tied at the end of regulation, you go into overtime to break that tie. The "briefly" part of the clue is your signal that the answer is an abbreviation. It’s a shorthand way of saying, "Give me the truncated version of the word."
The Mechanics of the When Ties Are Broken Briefly Crossword Clue
Most people get tripped up because they’re looking for a verb. They think about "severing" or "untying." But the structure of the clue usually points toward a plural noun because "ties" is plural.
Think about it this way: if the score is tied, you need plural overtimes (OTS) to settle the score.
Is it always OTS? Not necessarily. Sometimes the grid wants OT (singular) if the clue is "When a tie is broken briefly." That's the nuance of the game. You have to check your cross-references. If the down-clue requires an "S" at the end, you're looking at the plural.
Constructors use these "filler" words to bridge difficult sections of the map. Words like OTS, AREA, ERIE, and ETUI are the mortar between the bricks of more interesting, longer answers. They’re called "crosswordese." If you’ve been doing these puzzles for years, your brain probably fills in OTS the second you see the word "tie" and "briefly" in the same sentence.
But for a casual Sunday solver? It’s a total headache.
Why Abbreviations Matter in Modern Puzzles
The "briefly" tag is a setter's best friend. It’s a Get Out of Jail Free card for fitting awkward letter combinations into a corner.
When you see "briefly," "in short," or "for short," your brain should immediately flip a switch. You aren't looking for a standard English word anymore. You’re looking for an acronym, a nickname, or a truncated form.
- NASA instead of National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
- ASAP instead of as soon as possible.
- OTS instead of overtimes.
It’s about economy of space. A grid is only so big.
Common Variations of the "Tie" Clue
Don't let them trick you. Sometimes "ties" refers to NECKTIES.
If the clue is "Ties, briefly," the answer might be ASCOTS (though that’s not really an abbreviation) or maybe something related to the material, like SILKS. But specifically for the "broken" part, we are almost always talking about competitive scores.
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We also see "OT" show up in clues like:
- "Period after a 0-0 draw: Abbr."
- "Extra session, for short"
- "Hockey tie-breaker, briefly"
It’s all the same logic. The solver is being asked to identify a state of play where the standard clock has run out.
I remember a New York Times puzzle from a few years back where the theme was literally "Breaking the Tie." The constructor had actually placed black squares in the middle of words that meant "tie" to physically break them. It was brilliant. But for the average daily puzzle, it’s usually just OTS.
The Evolution of Crosswordese
Language changes, and crosswords change with it. In the 1950s, clues were much more literal. You wouldn't see as much "slangy" wordplay. Today, a "tie" could be a "social bond," a "railroad sleeper," or a "dead heat."
Expert solvers like Deb Amlen often talk about the "vibe" of a puzzle. If the puzzle is from the Wall Street Journal, it might be a bit more buttoned-up. If it’s a modern indie puzzle from a site like Crossword Club, "ties" might refer to something much more contemporary or niche.
But when ties are broken briefly crossword remains a staple because it’s such a clean way to use those three letters. The letter 'O' and the letter 'T' are incredibly common in English, making them perfect for "crossers" (the words that intersect).
How to Solve This Faster Next Time
- Check the pluralization. Does the clue say "tie" or "ties"? Match your answer's ending (OT vs OTS).
- Look for the "Briefly" signal. This is 100% an abbreviation.
- Scan the sports landscape. If the puzzle has other sports clues (like "NFL targets" or "NHL goals"), the "tie" clue is almost certainly sports-related overtime.
- Fill in the vowels. In a 3-letter word, if you have an 'O' and a 'T', the third letter is almost always 'S' or 'E'.
Beyond the Grid: Why We Care
There is a psychological satisfaction in breaking a tie. In game theory, a tie is a stalemate—a lack of resolution. Humans hate a lack of resolution. That’s why we have overtimes in the first place. We need a winner.
The crossword itself is a series of ties. Every time you can’t figure out a clue, it’s a tie between you and the constructor. When you finally write in those letters—O-T-S—you’ve broken the tie. You’ve won that square.
It’s a small victory, but in a world that feels increasingly chaotic, filling in a 15x15 grid of squares offers a sense of order. Everything has a place. Every tie has a breaker.
What If It's Not OTS?
In rare cases, if the clue is very tricky, "breaking ties" could refer to an AX or AXE. As in, "breaking ties with someone."
"We broke ties briefly" -> AXED.
But that doesn't usually fit the "briefly" (abbreviation) mold. Another outlier could be TIEBREAKER shortened to T-BK, but that’s extremely rare and usually frowned upon by editors unless it’s a very specific themed puzzle.
Stick with OTS. It’s the workhorse of the crossword world.
Next Steps for Your Solving Game
To truly master these types of clues, start keeping a "cheat sheet" of common crosswordese. You’ll notice that "tie" isn't the only word with multiple lives. "Aria," "Epee," and "Alibi" show up constantly because of their vowel-heavy structures.
Next time you hit a wall, look at the clues around it. If you can solve one "Down" clue that intersects with your "Across" tie-breaker, the first letter (O) will usually confirm everything you need to know.
Stop overthinking the word "broken." In this context, it doesn't mean shattered. It just means resolved.
Get back into the grid and finish that puzzle. Those OTS aren't going to fill themselves in.