neck and neck

adverb or adjective

: very close (as in a race)

Synonyms of neck and neck

• narrow
• close

Examples of neck and neck in a Sentence

a neck and neck finish in which only a fraction of a second separated the winner from the runner-up

Recent Examples on the Web

Elsewhere in Orange County and the Inland Empire, these Republican candidates and incumbents are neck and neck with their Democratic counterparts for legislative seats in Sacramento. — Charlie Borla, Oc Register, 7 Nov. 2026

The candidates’ campaign funds were neck and neck in cash on hand through September, and Getty raised more than García over the summer, according to federal campaign finance records. — Jake Sheridan, Chicago Tribune, 4 Nov. 2026

The race for Kansas governor remained neck and neck late Tuesday, with no clear winner declared. — Dylan Lysen, Kansas City Star, 4 Nov. 2026

Key races include the Fourth Congressional District, where Democrat Sean McCann is neck and neck with Republican incumbent Bill Huizenga. — Eve Batey, Vanity Fair, 4 Nov. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1672, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for neck and neck

• biotech
• bottleneck
• quarterdeck
• turtleneck
• zapotec
• aztec
• breakneck
• codec
• exec
• mixtec
• paycheck
• pinchbeck

Kids Definition

neck and neck

adverb or adjective

: very close (as in a race)