What it means
Used when two people, teams, or options are running so close together that nobody’s got daylight between them. It means the whole thing’s basically level and one tiny slip, burst, or lucky bounce could flip it. You’ll hear it in sport, elections, sales, quizzes, anywhere the lead keeps refusing to properly exist.
Usage examples
"We were neck and neck till the last round, then Dave pipped me by one vote and strutted round like he’d won the whole thing."
"The two teams were neck and neck all season, it came down to the very last game to decide the title."
"We were neck and neck in the quiz until the final round, then they pulled ahead by a single point."
"We were neck and neck the whole match, then she nicked it in the last thirty seconds and the pub went feral."
"The two candidates are still neck and neck, so one dodgy debate answer could send the whole thing sideways."
Where it comes from
It started in horse racing. If two horses were running so close their necks lined up, they were neck and neck. That racing picture stuck and wandered into everyday English, so now people use it for any proper tight contest where nobody’s managed to pull clear yet.
