dead heat

American  

noun

1. a race in which two or more competitors finish in a tie.

2. the result of such a race; tie.

---

dead heat British  

noun

1. 1. a race or contest in which two or more participants tie for first place

   2. a tie between two or more contestants in any position

---

dead heat Idioms  

1. A contest in which the competitors are equally matched and neither can win; a tie. For example, The two companies are in a dead heat to get a new personal computer on the market. This term comes from 18th-century British horse racing and is still part of racing terminology. It later was transferred to other kinds of competition.

---

Etymology

Origin of dead heat

First recorded in 1790–1800

Example Sentences

The most recent survey put the CDU and the Greens in a dead heat on 28 percent.

From Barron's • Mar. 8, 2026

Polymarket, the prediction platform, shows Paramount and Netflix are in a dead heat to close a transaction by the end of June 2027, with around a 42% chance each.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 10, 2025

That poll showed the race a statistical dead heat – a finding most recent surveys have also indicated, both nationally and in key battleground states.

From BBC • Sep. 10, 2024

She went to the barren desert kingdom in the dead heat of summer; colleagues thought she was nuts.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 22, 2024

Ten minutes later Seabiscuit finished in a dead heat for first with a horse named Heelfly, who carried fifteen fewer pounds.

From "Seabiscuit: An American Legend" by Laura Hillenbrand