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
Two polls released over the weekend suggest their races could be tightening—with one poll showing Sherrill and Ciattarelli locked in a dead heat.
—
Andrew Stanton, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Oct. 2025
At the time, the match was in a dead heat with the third set tied 5-5 after Sabalenka lost three straight games to Pegula.
—Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 13 Oct. 2025
In recent seasons, the rivalry has been a dead heat, with each program claiming two victories in the last fourmeetings.
—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
See All Example Sentences for dead heat
Andrew Stanton, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Oct. 2025
At the time, the match was in a dead heat with the third set tied 5-5 after Sabalenka lost three straight games to Pegula.
—Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 13 Oct. 2025
In recent seasons, the rivalry has been a dead heat, with each program claiming two victories in the last fourmeetings.
—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
See All Example Sentences for dead heat
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dead heat
Noun
-
Azerbaijan in recent years has developed ties with Israel and the United States, with Iran's influence in the South Caucasus region diminishing.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
6 Mar. 2026
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Both Burkle and Anderson have ties to Sacramento.—
Sacbee.com,
Sacbee.com,
6 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The results are in for the Nebraska Lottery’s draw games on Sunday, March 8, 2026.—
USA Today staff,
USA Today,
9 Mar. 2026
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The Kentucky Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.—
Ray Padilla,
Louisville Courier Journal,
8 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dead heat.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dead%20heat. Accessed 13 Mar. 2026.
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