as in tie
a situation in which neither participant in a contest, competition, or struggle comes out ahead of the other
the horses crossed the finish line in a dead heat
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of dead heat
In recent seasons, the rivalry has been a dead heat, with each program claiming two victories in the last fourmeetings.
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Clark Fahrenthold, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 Sep. 2025
As of today the Red Sox and Tigers have the same record, so if Detroit loses its series to Cleveland and falls out of first place in the AL Central, the two clubs could conceivably be in a dead heat for one of the last Wild Card spots.
—Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 22 Sep. 2025
Wednesday’s poll comes after an Emerson College survey released last week showed the incumbent senator and attorney general locked in a dead heat.
—Julia Manchester, The Hill, 20 Aug. 2025
In a smaller Emerson College poll Aug, 11-12, coinciding with the TSU poll, Cornyn and Paxton came out in a dead heat.
—Bud Kennedy, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 19 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dead heat
Clark Fahrenthold, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 Sep. 2025
As of today the Red Sox and Tigers have the same record, so if Detroit loses its series to Cleveland and falls out of first place in the AL Central, the two clubs could conceivably be in a dead heat for one of the last Wild Card spots.
—Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 22 Sep. 2025
Wednesday’s poll comes after an Emerson College survey released last week showed the incumbent senator and attorney general locked in a dead heat.
—Julia Manchester, The Hill, 20 Aug. 2025
In a smaller Emerson College poll Aug, 11-12, coinciding with the TSU poll, Cornyn and Paxton came out in a dead heat.
—Bud Kennedy, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 19 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dead heat
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dead heat
Noun
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The flag, a symbol of the tribe’s long and hard-fought sovereignty, the ways its people have given to the Elk Grove community, and ties to land that date back, in Elk Grove Mayor Bobbie Singh-Allen’s remarks, to time immemorial, launches the city’s commemoration of Native American Heritage Month.—
Darrell Smith,
Sacbee.com,
3 Nov. 2025
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Abe, who was assassinated in 2022, had signaled a willingness to meet Kim Jong Un without conditions to improve ties between their countries; several years later, then-leader Fumio Kishida also conveyed his intention to meet the North Korean leader.—
Jessie Yeung,
CNN Money,
3 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Not because this 2-2 draw at Sunderland provides cause for significant introspection.—
James McNicholas,
New York Times,
9 Nov. 2025
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The teams met twice during the regular season, with both matches ending in 1-1 draws.—
Fernando Ramirez,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
8 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Dead heat.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dead%20heat. Accessed 10 Nov. 2025.
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