neck-and-neck

neck-and-neck — idiom

1. describes two people, teams, or candidates who are tied or so close in a contest

1.慣用語B2
釋義

describes two people, teams, or candidates who are tied or so close in a contest that either one could still win.

例句

With three laps left, Hao and Owen were neck and neck on the inside of the track.

be neck and neck — sports race context

The two parties remained neck and neck in every poll published the week before the election.

remain neck and neck — political contest context

同義詞
  • tied

    more neutral and works for any score, not only contests in motion

  • level

    British English flavour; common in sports commentary

  • even

    broader; can describe scores, odds, or chances generally

  • shoulder to shoulder

    literal sense of physical position; figurative use less common than 'neck and neck'

反義詞
  • miles ahead

    informal; one side has a clear and large lead

  • trailing

    neutral; the other side is clearly behind

文法句型

be neck and neck (with someone)

run neck and neck

用法筆記

Used predicatively after a linking verb like 'be', 'remain', 'stay', or 'run'. Subject is almost always two competitors, two options, or two measurable totals — never a single person on their own.

常見錯誤

❌She was neck and neck in the race.
✅She and Lien were neck and neck in the race.
💡the phrase needs two parties being compared, not a single subject.
❌Their scores are neck and necks.
✅Their scores are neck and neck.
💡the phrase is invariable; do not add an -s.