From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishdead heatˌdead ˈheat noun [countable] EQUALa situation during or at the end of a race or competition in which two or more competitors have the same number of points etc, have reached the same level, or have taken the same time to complete a particular distance
Examples from the Corpus
dead heat• The trucks bound across the finish in almost a dead heat -- but it is a bad race for both.• Last year the Florida race was, in effect, a dead heat.• If you look merely at voting margins, there is a dead heat.• We play for about 40 minutes to a dead heat at game point.• Among non-religious-right voters, the race for governor was a dead heat. 