neck and neck

Idioms

So close that the advantage or lead shifts from one to the other or is virtually indistinguishable, as in The two are neck and neck in developing a new operating system for the computer. The term comes from horse racing, where the necks of two horses in competition appear to be side by side. [Early 1800s] For a synonym, see nip and tuck.

Example Sentences

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See Examples For:

neck and neck

This two-horse race could be neck and neck by the time Roland Garros rolls around.

From BBC ● Mar. 30, 2026

In Berlin, it is neck and neck with the SPD and the Greens ahead of a state election in September.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 11, 2026

Paxton’s style ran neck and neck with Cornyn’s substance.

From Salon ● Mar. 4, 2026

Going into the final round, the Japanese and the Americans had been neck and neck, but Japan were ahead having won more routines.

From Barron's ● Feb. 8, 2026

The three of us were neck and neck, shoulder to shoulder, fighting until the end.

From "Patina" by Jason Reynolds

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023