dead heats

Definition of dead heatsnext
plural of dead heat
as in ties
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for dead heats
Noun
  • Paramount has close ties to the White House through Ellison’s father, Oracle founder Larry Ellison.
    Rohan Goswami, semafor.com, 10 Nov. 2025
  • First-team appearances came in the National League Cup ties against the under-21 side of Leeds United from the Premier League and second-division Middlesbrough, and dual-registration rules allowed Gjoshe to link up with Bottesford last month.
    Philip Buckingham, New York Times, 8 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • But Amanyara's draws go well beyond its physical glow-up.
    Carley Rojas Avila, Travel + Leisure, 9 Jan. 2026
  • There have been stingy draws, a high-scoring draw and a couple of Elland Road hidings, but this was Daniel Farke’s Leeds unshackled, intoxicated, for good and bad, by the same icy Tyneside air which made Kevin Keegan’s Newcastle United sides so iconic.
    Beren Cross, New York Times, 8 Jan. 2026
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Dead heats.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dead%20heats. Accessed 11 Jan. 2026.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!