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
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Balvin matched his turquoise, elastic waist pants with an oversized bright orange button-down and a wide butter yellow silk tie.—
Karla Rodriguez,
Footwear News,
12 June 2026
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Gently braid each section, then secure all of your hair with a hair tie.—
Ranyechi Udemezue,
Vogue,
12 June 2026
Noun
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In eight matches all-time, Landslaget has two wins, three draws and three losses, all of the defeats coming against Italy – in 1938, 1994 and ‘98.—
Laurence Miedema,
Mercury News,
7 June 2026
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Nor, did anyone hit the proper Florida Lotto numbers for the top prize, now $2 million for Wednesday’s draw.—
David J. Neal,
Miami Herald,
7 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dead heat.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dead%20heat. Accessed 13 Jun. 2026.
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