tossup

[taws-uhp, tos-]

noun

1. the tossing of a coin to decide something by its fall.

2. an even choice or chance.

   It's a tossup whether they'll come or not.

Word History and Origins

Origin of tossup¹

First recorded in 1740–50; noun use of verb phrase toss up

Example Sentences

An additional 45 seats lean red or blue, leaving just 38 true tossup races.

From Salon

The 2025 Tony Awards winners have started to be announced ahead of the main telecast to be hosted by Cynthia Erivo on a night in which so many major categories remain tossups.

From Los Angeles Times

California was home to 10 competitive races in 2024, with five of them being tossups — all of which had Republican incumbents.

From Salon

But Wisconsin is still very much a tossup.

From BBC

The Cook Political Report changed the race’s rating from “tossup” to “lean Republican” just last week despite the fact that registered Democrats outnumber Republicans in the district 227,000 to 140,000.

From Salon