the wire
noun
US
: a thin piece of string that the winner of a race breaks through at the end of the race
The marathon ended in a sprint to the wire by the two top runners.
—often used figurativelyThe election went/came (right) down to the wire.
Examples of the wire in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Wrap the leafy wires around a 16-inch wreath form in a spiral, overlapping the leaves and securing the end of the wire to the form.
—
Kathy Barnes, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 Dec. 2024
With five weeks of the 2024 NFL season remaining, the battle for the Offensive Rookie of the Year award is coming down to the wire.
—Ben Morse, CNN, 4 Dec. 2024
Fold the tape down on itself so that the wire is sandwiched inside.
—Alexis Simmerman, Austin American-Statesman, 27 Nov. 2024
That’s when Bates worked with Barron to get more funding, to not only put up the wire taps, but to expand the scope of the investigation, the two explained.
—Mikenzie Frost, Baltimore Sun, 25 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for the wire 
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Kathy Barnes, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 Dec. 2024
With five weeks of the 2024 NFL season remaining, the battle for the Offensive Rookie of the Year award is coming down to the wire.
—Ben Morse, CNN, 4 Dec. 2024
Fold the tape down on itself so that the wire is sandwiched inside.
—Alexis Simmerman, Austin American-Statesman, 27 Nov. 2024
That’s when Bates worked with Barron to get more funding, to not only put up the wire taps, but to expand the scope of the investigation, the two explained.
—Mikenzie Frost, Baltimore Sun, 25 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for the wire
Dictionary Entries Near the wire
Cite this Entry
“The wire.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20wire. Accessed 17 Dec. 2024.
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