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

For the first time in the history of photo finishes a triple dead heat for first place is recorded, at Willow’s Park, Victoria, British Columbia. — Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 21 Sep. 2026

Even so, poll results point to a statistical dead heat between Flávio Bolsonaro and Lula. — Filipe Mendonça, The Conversation, 17 Sep. 2026

Stitt has endorsed Mazzei in the runoff, but endorsements seem to carry little weight as polls show the two candidates in a dead heat. — Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 24 Aug. 2026

American Express Centurion Lounges scored 771, in a dead heat with Capital One Lounge, also with 771 points. — Michael Goldstein, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 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