nip and tuck

1. Closely contested; neck and neck: “It was nip and tuck there for a while, but our team finally pulled through.”

Idioms and Phrases

Very close so that the advantage or lead of competitors keeps shifting, as in It was nip and tuck whether they would deal with the bill before Congress adjourned. The precise allusion in this term has been lost. [Early 1800s] Also see neck and neck.

Example Sentences

That tie was nip and tuck initially but ignited in the seventh leg when Smith checked out a superb 136 to edge ahead on throw.

From BBC

It's been, as you might have expected, nip and tuck.

From BBC

It will be nip and tuck all the way, a couple of heavyweights slugging it out right until the final round, when we will find out who the last team standing is.

From BBC

“I was really proud of the way we responded when we got down. It was nip and tuck the whole way.”

From Seattle Times

They forget you just need a little nip and tuck here and there to have it fit your body the way it should feel on you.

From Los Angeles Times