This is the 8578th most frequent Japanese word.
接戦
A close contest or tight match.
In this sentence, '接戦' is used to describe a sports match or competition that was closely contested, implying that the competitors were evenly matched.
昨日の試合は接戦だった。
Yesterday's match was a close contest.
In this example, '接戦' describes the nature of a game, emphasizing the suspense and intensity caused by players or teams being nearly equal in performance.
その接戦のゲームで、観客は最後まで緊張していた。
In that closely contested game, the audience remained tense until the very end.
Here, '接戦' refers to an election that was tightly contested, highlighting the competitiveness of the race between candidates.