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
The last time the Super Bowl didn’t come down to the wire was in 2021, when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers beat the Chiefs 31-9 on CBS.
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Katie Campione, Deadline, 10 Feb. 2025
Super Bowl 44: Saints 31 – Colts 17 Despite being overshadowed by two of the greatest Super Bowls of all-time that directly preceded it, this game came down to the wire as well.
—Lev Akabas, Sportico.com, 9 Feb. 2025
Apple strongly encourages iPhone and iPad developers to enforce encryption of data sent over the wire using ATS (App Transport Security).
—Ashley Belanger, Ars Technica, 6 Feb. 2025
The matchup came down to the wire as Josh Allen and the Bills tied the game at 29-29 in the third quarter.
—Natasha Dye, People.com, 27 Jan. 2025
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Katie Campione, Deadline, 10 Feb. 2025
Super Bowl 44: Saints 31 – Colts 17 Despite being overshadowed by two of the greatest Super Bowls of all-time that directly preceded it, this game came down to the wire as well.
—Lev Akabas, Sportico.com, 9 Feb. 2025
Apple strongly encourages iPhone and iPad developers to enforce encryption of data sent over the wire using ATS (App Transport Security).
—Ashley Belanger, Ars Technica, 6 Feb. 2025
The matchup came down to the wire as Josh Allen and the Bills tied the game at 29-29 in the third quarter.
—Natasha Dye, People.com, 27 Jan. 2025
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 16 Feb. 2025.
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