dead heat

noun

: a tie with no single winner of a race
broadly : tie

Examples of dead heat in a Sentence

the horses crossed the finish line in a dead heat
Recent Examples on the Web The upcoming election is only days away, and the two presidential candidates remain in a statistical dead heat. Dan Doonan, Forbes, 23 Oct. 2024 Still, 538 cautions that the race remains in a dead heat. Jason Ma, Fortune, 19 Oct. 2024 This comes as recent polls show former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris are in a dead heat heading into the Nov. 5 contest. Fred Imbert, CNBC, 17 Oct. 2024 Polls have consistently shown former President Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris are tied in a virtual dead heat in the state that President Biden won by a narrow margin in 2020. Rebecca Falconer, Axios, 16 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for dead heat 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'dead heat.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1796, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of dead heat was in 1796

Dictionary Entries Near dead heat

Cite this Entry

“Dead heat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dead%20heat. Accessed 4 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

dead heat

noun
: a contest in which two or more competitors tie

More from Merriam-Webster on dead heat

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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