as in narrow
showing little difference in the standing of the competitors
a down-to-the-wire contest for the pennant
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of down-to-the-wire
Following Kansas City's win over the Buffalo Bills in a down-to-the-wire matchup on Sunday, Jan. 26, Swift and Kelce, both 35, were seen exiting the game through the tunnels at Arrowhead Stadium.
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Natasha Dye, People.com, 27 Jan. 2025
With two elite quarterbacks, top-tier offenses, and strong defenses, this game has all the ingredients for a down-to-the-wire finish.
—Joel Thayer, Newsweek, 26 Jan. 2025
The first round was a letdown, but then came an instant classic Texas-Arizona State Peach Bowl, two down-to-the-wire semifinals and a big-brand championship game that wasn’t officially over until the final 30 seconds.
—Stewart Mandel, The Athletic, 21 Jan. 2025
The comedian and political host incised the D.C. affair with one-liners aimed at those in attendance (from their fashion choices to their general decision to show up at all), X owner Elon Musk’s odd/potentially terrifying salute and outgoing POTUS Joe Biden’s down-to-the-wire blanket pardon.
—Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 20 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for down-to-the-wire
Natasha Dye, People.com, 27 Jan. 2025
With two elite quarterbacks, top-tier offenses, and strong defenses, this game has all the ingredients for a down-to-the-wire finish.
—Joel Thayer, Newsweek, 26 Jan. 2025
The first round was a letdown, but then came an instant classic Texas-Arizona State Peach Bowl, two down-to-the-wire semifinals and a big-brand championship game that wasn’t officially over until the final 30 seconds.
—Stewart Mandel, The Athletic, 21 Jan. 2025
The comedian and political host incised the D.C. affair with one-liners aimed at those in attendance (from their fashion choices to their general decision to show up at all), X owner Elon Musk’s odd/potentially terrifying salute and outgoing POTUS Joe Biden’s down-to-the-wire blanket pardon.
—Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 20 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for down-to-the-wire
Recent Examples of Synonyms for down-to-the-wire
Adjective
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The narrow five-game spread between the top and bottom performers illustrates the relative consistency in baseline predictive ability.—
Giovanni Malloy,
Forbes.com,
8 Apr. 2025
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Any migrant can individually bring a claim, Harris argued, but only in Texas where they're being held, and only along narrower grounds.—
Maureen Groppe,
USA Today,
7 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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There are several international destinations where pickpocketing is extremely common, so having all of my essentials close is a priority.—
Jordyn Burrell,
Travel + Leisure,
6 Apr. 2025
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The six-point halftime margin would be the closest Boise State would be to Nebraska for the rest of the game.—
Shaun Goodwin,
Idaho Statesman,
5 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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At the moment, Ajax is in a tight title race in the Eredivisie between Twente, currently at the top of the table, and PSV, who are ahead of Ajax but level with Twente on points.—
Tamerra Griffin,
New York Times,
4 Apr. 2025
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Her hair was pulled back into a tight chignon with a few strands of wavy hair to frame her face.—
Julia Teti,
Footwear News,
4 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Down-to-the-wire.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/down-to-the-wire. Accessed 11 Apr. 2025.
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