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
Martina Navratilova won 74 straight matches in 1984. 1990 — The 18th triple dead heat in modern thoroughbred history takes place in the ninth race at Arlington International Racecourse.
—Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 20 May 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
Martina Navratilova won 74 straight matches in 1984. 1990 — The 18th triple dead heat in modern thoroughbred history takes place in the ninth race at Arlington International Racecourse.
—Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 20 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for dead heat
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dead heat
Noun
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Norman was a patrol officer, Cooper said, and his posts on social media have no ties to the department, although officials were aware of his massive following.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
15 Sep. 2025
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Some analysts have questioned whether the slogans on the casings suggest ties to anti-fascist or left-leaning groups, or whether they were intended as references to internet culture.—
Robert Alexander,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Alan Shearer, the all-time leading goalscorer in the Premier League, told The Star that fans should keep their eyes open for the draw to see which countries may end up playing in Kansas City.—
Daniel Sperry,
Kansas City Star,
20 Sep. 2025
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Toluca has been one of the top teams in Liga MX this season, sitting fifth on the table through eight matches thanks to a record of five wins, one draw, and two losses.—
Kilty Cleary,
MSNBC Newsweek,
20 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Dead heat.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dead%20heat. Accessed 21 Sep. 2025.
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