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
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Ankara has long regarded the SDF as a terror group because of its ties to the Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK, a Kurdish separatist group that waged a longrunning insurgency in Turkey.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
31 Jan. 2026
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Beijing has spent decades growing its trade ties and bankrolling projects in the region, to boost transportation links and cut energy costs – cementing its own influence along the way.—
Simone McCarthy,
CNN Money,
31 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Remember, the park was originally protected because of its biodiversity, which is its biggest draw.—
Evie Carrick,
Travel + Leisure,
11 Jan. 2026
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Two days of major money Florida Lottery draw games provided major money happiness to only one person.—
David J. Neal,
Miami Herald,
11 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dead heat.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dead%20heat. Accessed 31 Jan. 2026.
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