Of a match or contest: having ended without an outright winner; that is a draw (draw, n. 19).

Not more advantageous to one person or party than to another. Of a contest: Even, equal, undecided. Obsolete.

(transitive) to cut the throat of.

Of a contest: Evenly balanced.

Of a victory or (occasionally) defeat: won or conceded by a substantial margin; resounding. Of a race or contest: characterized by such an outcome.

Of a race or contest: won by a very small margin; involving evenly matched opponents. Frequently in close-run thing. Cf. run, adj. 9.

As adj. (attributive). Close; closely contested.

colloquial or technical. Said of a contest in which the combatants are evenly matched; close; so of a bargain: with little margin of profit…

(a) n. a situation in which people are willing to harm each other in order to succeed; (b) adj. ruthlessly competitive.

winner-take(s)-all, attributive phrase used to denote contests or conflicts in which victory is outright or the successful competitor alone is…

(a) drawn or worked by, or used with, two horses; (b) (of a race or other contest) in which only two of the contestants are likely winners.