dead heat

noun

: a tie with no single winner of a race
broadly : tie

Examples of dead heat in a Sentence

the horses crossed the finish line in a dead heat
Recent Examples on the Web The two candidates are currently in a dead heat, with a Wall Street Journal poll in August finding each has the support of 46 percent of the electorate. Jess Bidgood, BostonGlobe.com, 3 Sep. 2023 In terms of their respective ages, some might suggest — in a dead heat — Day should pick the younger option because the developmental upside is greater. Nathan Baird, cleveland, 21 Aug. 2023 But despite the state’s recent history of leaning Democratic, he and Walker were locked in a dead heat for almost the entire 2022 race. Tori Otten, The New Republic, 14 Nov. 2022 According to Lotus, the four-cylinder and V-6 models are in a dead heat to 60 mph, with the V-6 posting a 4.2-second time and the inline-four clocking in at 4.3 seconds. Car and Driver, 7 Aug. 2023 The latest polls show Santiago Peña, the candidate for the ruling right-wing Colorado Party candidate—which has seen almost 75 years of uninterrupted rule—in a statistical dead heat with the country’s main opposition figure, centrist Efrain Alegre. Clarisa Diaz, Quartz, 27 Apr. 2023 The move was prompted by a poll that reportedly showed a statistical dead heat between the candidates and last-minute money flowing into the race from House campaign committees and leadership PACs. Seema Mehta, Los Angeles Times, 12 Nov. 2022 Hit Show and Angel of Empire finished in a dead heat for fourth. John Cherwa, Los Angeles Times, 10 June 2023 The betting markets now have DeSantis and former President Trump in a dead heat for the Republican presidential nominee in 2024. Brynn Tannehill, The New Republic, 8 Feb. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'dead heat.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1796, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of dead heat was in 1796

Dictionary Entries Near dead heat

Cite this Entry

“Dead heat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dead%20heat. Accessed 23 Sep. 2023.

Kids Definition

dead heat

noun
: a contest in which two or more competitors tie

More from Merriam-Webster on dead heat

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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