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
Blowing late-game leads had become a troubling trend for the Clippers this season, which pushed their first five games down to the wire.
—
Janis Carr, Orange County Register, 6 Nov. 2024
The Mustangs took Cherry Creek down to the wire in last year’s semifinal.
—Matt Schubert, The Denver Post, 6 Nov. 2024
The race between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump, as well as the battle for Congress, are down to the wire.
—Fred Imbert, CNBC, 5 Nov. 2024
The race will decide the outcome of the championship with the tussle between Prima Pramac Racing's Spaniard Jorge Martin and Ducati's Italian twice champion Francesco Bagnaia going down to the wire after Bagnaia won the Malaysia Grand Prix on Sunday.
—Reuters, 5 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for the wire 
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Janis Carr, Orange County Register, 6 Nov. 2024
The Mustangs took Cherry Creek down to the wire in last year’s semifinal.
—Matt Schubert, The Denver Post, 6 Nov. 2024
The race between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump, as well as the battle for Congress, are down to the wire.
—Fred Imbert, CNBC, 5 Nov. 2024
The race will decide the outcome of the championship with the tussle between Prima Pramac Racing's Spaniard Jorge Martin and Ducati's Italian twice champion Francesco Bagnaia going down to the wire after Bagnaia won the Malaysia Grand Prix on Sunday.
—Reuters, 5 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 19 Nov. 2024.
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