Definition of "tie-in" []

• One thing that is related to or connected with another. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "The key to the illusion-the equivalent of "selling the shot" in today's special effects-is what is called the "tie-in"; that is, the small, vital area in the rear of the diorama, the brief zone where the three-dimensional artifacts meet the sloping, painted background."
• "Walt Disney says that "Cars 2" is on track to sell more tie-in merchandise than any single previous film."
• "Disney says "Cars 2" is on track to sell more tie-in goods than any single previous film, surpassing by a wide margin the current record holder, "Toy Story 3," which last year sold $2.8 billion of merchandise."