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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Recent Examples of dead heat
If two horses hit the wire at the exact same time it’s called a dead heat.
—
Neil Greenberg, New York Times, 1 May 2026
The most expensive Republican primary for governor in Georgia history is still a dead heat despite a staggering avalanche of ad spending and one of the ugliest intraparty fights in recent memory.
—Greg Bluestein, AJC.com, 30 Apr. 2026
Thirty-one years later, another dazzling young Maverick finds himself in a ROY race dead heat with two weeks left in the regular season.
—Brad Townsend, Dallas Morning News, 28 Mar. 2026
But the mayor’s race had ended in a dead heat Tuesday night, with six votes separating Thomson and candidate Mike Liebelson.
—Abigail Hasebroock, Sun Sentinel, 13 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for dead heat
Neil Greenberg, New York Times, 1 May 2026
The most expensive Republican primary for governor in Georgia history is still a dead heat despite a staggering avalanche of ad spending and one of the ugliest intraparty fights in recent memory.
—Greg Bluestein, AJC.com, 30 Apr. 2026
Thirty-one years later, another dazzling young Maverick finds himself in a ROY race dead heat with two weeks left in the regular season.
—Brad Townsend, Dallas Morning News, 28 Mar. 2026
But the mayor’s race had ended in a dead heat Tuesday night, with six votes separating Thomson and candidate Mike Liebelson.
—Abigail Hasebroock, Sun Sentinel, 13 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for dead heat
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dead heat
Noun
-
Minnesota's ties to slavery, the Civil War and the Juneteenth holiday sent many to Fort Snelling for a tour on Friday.—
Reg Chapman,
CBS News,
20 June 2026
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There is no distinction for a behest given to a charity with direct ties to the politician, but maybe there should be.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
20 June 2026
Noun
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After Iran played to a draw Sunday at SoFi Stadium, its second of the World Cup in as many matches, the team’s coach began his postmatch assessment by backing up six months.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
22 June 2026
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The teen, who attended Monday’s 2-2 draw with New Zealand and has a ticket for Sunday’s match against Belgium, is one of several fans from Los Angeles who made the drive to stay with the team.—
Gabriela Aoun Angueira,
Los Angeles Times,
21 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dead heat.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dead%20heat. Accessed 23 Jun. 2026.
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