toss up
toss up — noun
1. A race, election, game, or decision where two possible results are equally likel
A race, election, game, or decision where two possible results are equally likely, making the outcome impossible to predict ahead of time.
The election was a toss-up between Baraka and the incumbent until the votes were counted.
toss-up + between [person] and [person]
For Diego, choosing between the two universities was a toss-up until he visited both campuses.
The soccer match remained a toss-up until Karim scored in extra time.
Whether to accept the scholarship or take the job offer was a toss-up for Tamar.
The cooking competition was a toss-up right up to the judges' final scores.
- coin flip
more informal; suggests pure chance rather than balanced probability
- even chance
less idiomatic; used in neutral probability statements
- fifty-fifty
more informal; often used in sports or betting contexts
- sure thing
opposite meaning — outcome is certain, not uncertain
文法句型
a toss-up
be a toss-up
toss-up between [noun] and [noun]
用法筆記
Always used with the indefinite article 'a'. Cannot be used with a number or in the plural (*two toss-ups). This sense typically follows linking verbs such as 'be' or 'remain'.