toss-up

Could go either

A toss-up is a situation where two or more outcomes are equally likely, making prediction impossible.

The term comes from flipping a coin, where heads and tails have the same probability.

In everyday use, it describes close competitions, difficult choices between equivalent options, or any scenario where the result could go either way: The election is a toss-up at this point.

It's a toss-up between the two restaurants—both are excellent.

chance

coinflip

Random binary outcome

fifty-fiftySplit equally between two
oddsLikelihood expressed numerically
probabilityQuantified chance of occurrence

gamble · luck · unpredictability · uncertainty · risk · speculation · contingency · fluke · potluck · crapshoot

competition

matchup

Scheduled competitive pairing

contestOrganized competitive event
showdownDecisive final confrontation
face-offDirect clash between opponents

rivalry · duel · playoff · decider · tiebreaker · squeaker · cliffhanger · nailbiter

undecided

indecision

Failure to decide

ambiguityOpenness to multiple interpretations
hesitationDelay from uncertainty
dilemmaForced choice between undesirables

quandary · equivocation · deliberation · wavering · torn · split · conflicted · undetermined

toss-up

coinflip

matchup

indecision

toss-up

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