in a dead heat

[Kati Svaby]

English Language Tests, Intermediate level

ESL/EFL Test #330 "English Slang Idioms (51)", question 7

He couldn't decide who deserved the Employee-of-the-Month award more. The two front runners finished the month off in a dead .......... Their stats were exactly the same.

(a) heat
(b) line
(c) test
(d) wire

English Language Tests, Intermediate level

ESL/EFL Test #330 "English Slang Idioms (51)", answer 7

He couldn't decide who deserved the Employee-of-the-Month award more. The two front runners finished the month off in a dead heat. Their stats were exactly the same.

Correct answer: (a) heat
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The two runners finished the month off in a dead heat. =
Sport:In the race two or more finish with exactly the same result.
Politics: the political contest is so close that is impossible to predict the winner.
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We always deceive ourselves twice about the people we love - first to their advantage, then to their disadvantage.