neck and neck
28
3.5
- idiom
:
empatado
- During the final lap of the race, the two runners were neck and neck, making it hard to predict the winner.
- running neck and neck
- neck and neck race
- neck and neck in the polls
So right now, if you kind of look at it, US and China are are a little bit neck and neck, maybe the US and America's like a little bit ahead.
- So right now, if you kind of look at it, US and China are are a little bit neck and neck, maybe the US and America's like a little bit ahead.
- You know, Bush and Gore neck and neck for the American presidency, hanging chads, dimple chads, all sorts of stuff going on.
- Narcissism, you know, right there, neck and neck with it.
- Yeah, it's A and it's a very neck and neck mix as well, I think, you know, but it's such a good show, man.
- The Virginia governor is now neck and neck to be charitable to McAuliffe with Republican Glenn Youngkin.
- Lamont versus Florida Evans who hated the most on the progress of the household and I guarantee you it's going to be neck and neck.
Examples
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As they approached the finish line, the horses were neck and neck, thrilling the spectators.
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Right now in Arizona, Republican Carrie Lake is in a neck and neck race against Democrat Katie Hobbs.
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We were very much neck and neck in the earlier days.
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And some say it was neck and neck the day of the election.
Blog text (11) -
The last race of the season, and the two top cars in the championship neck and neck!
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Down the stretch in the final turn, it is currently neck and neck, way too close to call.
Blog text (27) -
The scoring picked up in the second half, as the game continued to be neck and neck.
Blog text (9) -
Speaking of performance per dollar, Team Red and Team Blue are neck and neck in this all important metric.
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A perfect landing, and these two racers are neck and neck.
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It's Moonray and Sun Helmet, neck and neck.
Synonyms
66
2.1
A contest where the score or result is very close
16
1.0
The same in amount, value, or score
1
8.1
Very close and evenly matched until the end
With the same number of points as another team or player
How Close
Surface Forms
Morphology
neck + and + neck
The expression evokes a simple, imageable comparison—competitors with their necks level—so the sense ‘very close/tied’ follows directly from combining the known word 'neck' with the coordinating 'and'. This bodily-comparison metaphor is straightforward and has close equivalents in other languages, so an average B1 learner who knows the constituent words would very likely infer the meaning.
Etymology
Neck and neck may come from horse racing, when two horses ran so close that their necks were level and side by side. That's why today it means being so close in a race or competition that it's hard to say 'who will win'.