English Reference
Idiom idiom

statistical tie


A situation in which the difference in popularity of two options in a poll is less than the margin of error.

Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.


SIMPLE

The two candidates are in a statistical tie.

CONTEXTUAL

Because the poll results are within the margin of error, the race is currently a statistical tie.

COMPLEX

Although the challenger leads by one percentage point, the survey indicates a statistical tie that makes predicting the final outcome impossible.


Related idioms8entries
  1. 01

    fit to be tied

    Very agitated or distressed; also, very angry; enraged, furious.

  2. 02

    have one's hands tied

    To be powerless to act, to be thwarted.

  3. 03

    Peckham Rye

    [Cockney slang]tie

  4. 04

    tie in

    To fit in or harmonize (with something).

  5. 05

    tie in knots

    To put (someone) in a difficult situation.

  6. 06

    tie in with

    To become associated with (a person or group of people); to connect with.

  7. 07

    tie one on

    To drink alcohol excessively, to the point of being drunk

  8. 08

    tie oneself in knots

    To put oneself in a difficult situation.

Last updated August 10, 2026