Synonyms

nip and tuck

Cultural

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

nip and tuck Idioms

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

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

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

From BBC • Apr. 5, 2024

“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

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 • Nov. 10, 2021

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

From Washington Post • Oct. 14, 2020

It’ll be nip and tuck between you and Shorty Ward for the position.

From The Rushton Boys at Rally Hall Or, Great Days in School and Out by Davenport, Spencer

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