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
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
Even if Florida enacts a GOP-friendlier map in a special legislative session set for April 28, the worst possible outcome from the redistricting fight now looks like a national dead heat.
—Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 25 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
Greg Bluestein, AJC.com, 30 Apr. 2026
Even if Florida enacts a GOP-friendlier map in a special legislative session set for April 28, the worst possible outcome from the redistricting fight now looks like a national dead heat.
—Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 25 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
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Add in singles by Jung Hoo Lee, a sacrifice fly by Daniel Susac, and an RBI single by Harrison Bader, and the Giants turned a tie ballgame into a 3-1 lead.—
Patrick Saunders,
Denver Post,
30 May 2026
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Then Bella Perez hit a two-run home in the eighth to break a 3-3 tie.—
Eric Sondheimer,
Los Angeles Times,
30 May 2026
Noun
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The pools and beach area are a big draw for guests, but there is also a local membership option.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
1 June 2026
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The regulatory amendments approved Tuesday allows two existing draw games — Megabucks and Mass Cash — also to be available via the iLottery platform.—
Editorial,
Boston Herald,
31 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dead heat.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dead%20heat. Accessed 3 Jun. 2026.
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