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 two teams are in a dead heat with 42 games remaining, shrinking any margin for error.
—
Chandler Rome, New York Times, 13 Aug. 2025
Borregales’ status as a 2025 draft pick (sixth round out of Miami) could give him an edge over journeyman Romo (five NFL teams in four seasons, including a stint on the Patriots’ practice squad last December) in a dead heat.
—Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 11 Aug. 2025
Also scoring the second-biggest opening day of 2025 behind Chicken Jockey juggernaut A Minecraft Movie, Fantastic Four pulled in another $100 million internationally — placing it in a virtual dead heat with Superman, which took in $220 million over its global opening.
—Chris Lee, Vulture, 28 July 2025
In polls released this week, Earle-Sears and former Democratic Rep. Abigail Spanberger remain locked in a close race, continuing their dead heat of last year.
—Paul Bedard, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 16 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dead heat
Chandler Rome, New York Times, 13 Aug. 2025
Borregales’ status as a 2025 draft pick (sixth round out of Miami) could give him an edge over journeyman Romo (five NFL teams in four seasons, including a stint on the Patriots’ practice squad last December) in a dead heat.
—Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 11 Aug. 2025
Also scoring the second-biggest opening day of 2025 behind Chicken Jockey juggernaut A Minecraft Movie, Fantastic Four pulled in another $100 million internationally — placing it in a virtual dead heat with Superman, which took in $220 million over its global opening.
—Chris Lee, Vulture, 28 July 2025
In polls released this week, Earle-Sears and former Democratic Rep. Abigail Spanberger remain locked in a close race, continuing their dead heat of last year.
—Paul Bedard, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 16 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dead heat
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dead heat
Noun
-
The Dolphins would never willingly take on almost $80 million in dead space, and the team has also not shown any signs of even benching the star quarterback, much less cutting ties with him altogether.—
Drew VonScio,
MSNBC Newsweek,
9 Sep. 2025
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These cable ties come in a pack of 24 and can be used over and over again.—
Amelia McBride,
Travel + Leisure,
8 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Carolina started its season with a dramatic 2-2 draw at Fort Lauderdale, highlighted by Mercado’s league-record goal in her debut and a stoppage-time equalizer by Audrey Harding.—
Shane Connuck,
Charlotte Observer,
7 Sep. 2025
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Barcelona’s thrashing of Alhama was the match with the most interventions (12) and the only game in which there were no challenges was Athletic Club’s goalless draw with CD Tenerife.—
Laia Cervelló Herrero,
New York Times,
6 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Dead heat.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dead%20heat. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.
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