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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Examples Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of dead heat
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
The 538 polling average of Pennsylvania surveys reveals the state to be a dead heat, with Trump clinging to a lead of 0.1 percentage points.
—Max Zahn, ABC News, 4 Nov. 2024
Meanwhile, Trump, the GOP nominee, is locked in a dead heat with Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee, in the final hours of the 2024 election.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for dead heat 
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
The 538 polling average of Pennsylvania surveys reveals the state to be a dead heat, with Trump clinging to a lead of 0.1 percentage points.
—Max Zahn, ABC News, 4 Nov. 2024
Meanwhile, Trump, the GOP nominee, is locked in a dead heat with Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee, in the final hours of the 2024 election.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 4 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 30 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share