neck and neck

adverb or adjective

Synonyms of neck and necknext
: very close (as in a race)

Synonyms of neck and neck

Relevance
See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of neck and neck in a Sentence

a neck and neck finish in which only a fraction of a second separated the winner from the runner-up
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Ahead of the vote, Netanyahu’s Likud party was neck and neck with the Israeli military's former Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot, who has emerged as his strongest rival in a fraught campaign that has centered on the country's security and future. — Yarden Segev, NBC news, 27 Oct. 2026 Heading into Week 7, the 4-2 Packers sit neck and neck with the Bears behind the undefeated Vikings in the NFC North. — Jason Cohen, PC Magazine, 25 Oct. 2026 According to polls, Netanyahu and his main opponent, Gadi Eisenkot, are neck and neck in the race. — Ruth Sherlock, NPR, 24 Oct. 2026 The latest Atlanta Journal-Constitution poll shows the race between Bottoms and Jackson is neck and neck. — Patricia Murphy, AJC.com, 22 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for neck and neck

Word History

First Known Use

1672, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of neck and neck was in 1672

Rhymes for neck and neck

See All Rhymes for neck and neck

Browse Nearby Words

neck and heels
neck and neck
Neckar
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Neck and neck.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/neck%20and%20neck. Accessed 31 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

neck and neck

adverb or adjective
: very close (as in a race)
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of wraith

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Pwn, Skibidi, Girlboss and Other Words Added to the 2026 Scrabble Dictionary

The Words of the Week - Oct. 30

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
different halloween monsters in silhouette
A Monstrous Vocab Quiz Words That Go Bump in the Night
See All