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
At the time this article was written, the Republican was a minuscule 0.1 points ahead, implying a dead heat in the Keystone State─one of the vital battleground states that will likely play a pivotal role in deciding who will replace President Joe Biden.
—
Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2024
Flashback: Biden wins all 5 votes in Dixville Notch after township's midnight election
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Mapped: Harris-Trump locked in dead heat race
Vice President Harris and former President Trump were locked in a dead heat during the presidential race's final weeks, with polls closing Tuesday night.
—Rebecca Falconer, Axios, 5 Nov. 2024
Donald Trump and Kamala Harris are in a dead heat in the state that Joe Biden won in 2020 by just over 80,000 votes.
—Brian Bennett, TIME, 5 Nov. 2024
Traditional voter polls kept showing a statistical dead heat, while betting markets fluctuated regularly—rising and falling because of Harris’s strong debate performance, Trump’s latest offensive remarks and, yes, even late, dramatic polling from star Iowa pollster Ann Selzer.
—Paolo Confino, Fortune, 5 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for dead heat 
Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2024
Flashback: Biden wins all 5 votes in Dixville Notch after township's midnight election
Go deeper
Mapped: Harris-Trump locked in dead heat race
Vice President Harris and former President Trump were locked in a dead heat during the presidential race's final weeks, with polls closing Tuesday night.
—Rebecca Falconer, Axios, 5 Nov. 2024
Donald Trump and Kamala Harris are in a dead heat in the state that Joe Biden won in 2020 by just over 80,000 votes.
—Brian Bennett, TIME, 5 Nov. 2024
Traditional voter polls kept showing a statistical dead heat, while betting markets fluctuated regularly—rising and falling because of Harris’s strong debate performance, Trump’s latest offensive remarks and, yes, even late, dramatic polling from star Iowa pollster Ann Selzer.
—Paolo Confino, Fortune, 5 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for dead heat
Thesaurus Entries Near dead heat
Cite this Entry
“Dead heat.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dead%20heat. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025.
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