empatar

Senses

1. 1.

   to tie, to draw

   to finish a game or competition with the same score as the opponent

2. 2.

   to hinder, to hold up

   to prevent something from progressing or being completed

3. 3.

   to tie up (money/capital)

   to commit financial resources making them unavailable for other uses

Examples

• "O time empatou o jogo nos últimos minutos."

  The team tied the game in the final minutes.

• "Não quero empatar meu dinheiro em investimentos de longo prazo agora."

  I don't want to tie up my money in long-term investments right now.

• "Aquele projeto está empatando o trabalho de toda a equipe."

  That project is holding up the work of the entire team.

Usage

Common in sports contexts, where "empatar" refers to tying a game or match. In business/finance, it means to lock up capital. The noun form is "empate" (tie, draw, deadlock). Often used with prepositions: "empatar em" (tie at a score), "empatar com" (tie with someone).