Phrase guide

neck and neck

phrase · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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No pronunciation record was provided for this word.

1

phrase

Meaning 1

Very close in progress, as in a race or a contest.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: idiomatic

Examples

  • The polls suggest that the candidates were neck and neck in the election.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: nip and tuck

Antonyms: none provided

2

adjective satellite

Meaning 2

inconclusive as to outcome; close or just even in a race or comparison or competition

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • as they approached the finish line they were neck and neck
  • the election was a nip and tuck affair

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: head-to-head, nip and tuck

Antonyms: none provided

3

adverb

Meaning 3

even or close in a race or competition or comparison

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • the horses ran neck and neck
  • he won nip and tuck

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: head-to-head, nip and tuck

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Figurative, from the image of competing horses abreast in a horse race who are so even (headed for a tie) that their necks are side-by-side.

Across languages

Translations

31 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Catalan: frec a frec — very close in progress
  • Chinese Cantonese: 叮噹馬頭 /叮当马头 (ding1 dong1 maa5 tau4) — very close in progress
  • Chinese Mandarin: 並駕齊驅 /并驾齐驱 (bìngjiàqíqū) — very close in progress
  • Chinese Mandarin: 勢均力敵 /势均力敌 (shìjūnlìdí) — very close in progress
  • Chinese Mandarin: 不相伯仲 (bùxiàngbózhòng) — very close in progress
  • Chinese Mandarin: 不相上下 (bùxiāngshàngxià) — very close in progress
  • Chinese Mandarin: 不分軒輊 /不分轩轾 (bùfēnxuānzhì) — very close in progress
  • Chinese Mandarin: 旗鼓相當 /旗鼓相当 (qígǔxiāngdāng) — very close in progress
  • Chinese Mandarin: 平分秋色 (píngfēnqiūsè) — very close in progress
  • Dutch: nek aan nek — very close in progress
  • Finnish: rinta rinnan — very close in progress
  • Finnish: ritirinnan — very close in progress
  • French: coude à coude — very close in progress
  • German: Kopf an Kopf — very close in progress
  • Greek: σώμα με σώμα (sóma me sóma) — very close in progress
  • Greek: στήθος με στήθος (stíthos me stíthos) — very close in progress
  • Hungarian: fej fej mellett — very close in progress
  • Irish: gob ar ghob — very close in progress
  • Irish: gob le gob — very close in progress
  • Korean: 막상막하 (maksangmakha) — very close in progress
  • Polish: łeb w łeb — very close in progress
  • Portuguese: pau a pau — very close in progress
  • Portuguese: emparelhado — very close in progress
  • Russian: ноздря́ в ноздрю (nozdrjá v nozdrju) — very close in progress
  • Russian: вро́вень (vróvenʹ) — very close in progress
  • Spanish: cabeza a cabeza — very close in progress
  • Spanish: parejos — very close in progress
  • Spanish: igualados — very close in progress
  • Telugu: పోటా పోటీ (pōṭā pōṭī) — very close in progress
  • Telugu: నువ్వా నేనా (nuvvā nēnā) — very close in progress
  • Turkish: başa baş — very close in progress