nip and tuck

Cultural  

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

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nip and tuck Idioms  

1. 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.

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

nip and tuck

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 ● Jun. 13, 2023

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

From Seattle Times ● Jan. 23, 2022

All of this year’s iPhones had a little nip and tuck along the edges.

From Washington Post ● Oct. 14, 2020

Time passes, and even a contemporary classic can use a nip and tuck.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 20, 2019

"It's nip and tuck," Grief confided to the mate a couple of hours later.

From A Son Of The Sun by Jack London