dead heat

noun

: a tie with no single winner of a race

broadly : tie

Synonyms of dead heat

• tie
• draw

Examples of dead heat in a Sentence

the horses crossed the finish line in a dead heat

Recent Examples on the Web

The race has been a dead heat, with Democratic nominee Troy Jackson leading by just 2 points in a recent Suffolk University poll. — Eric Levitz, Vox, 15 Oct. 2026

Texas’ statewide elections are in dead heat in the lead up to early voting, according to a new poll from the Texas Politics Project at the University of Texas at Austin. — Eleanor Dearman, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Oct. 2026

Rogers is locked in a dead heat with Democrat Abdul El-Sayed. — Luke Fountain, CNBC, 14 Oct. 2026

State of the race in Kansas A series of independent polls have portrayed the race as a dead heat. — Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 6 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1796, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for dead heat

• amit
• athlete
• backseat
• blackfeet
• broadsheet
• browbeat
• buckwheat
• compete
• compleat
• complete
• conceit
• concrete

Kids Definition

dead heat

noun

: a contest in which two or more competitors tie