the stretch
noun
: the final straight part of a racecourse before the finish line
the horses are in the (final) stretch
—often used figurativelyShe's in the final stretch. The baby's due next month.
They will wind up the season with a winning record having won some crucial games down the stretch.
Examples of the stretch in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Down the stretch, Johnson instead went with four guards and Garcia, while Fox, Frank Mitchell and Trey Edmonds each played less than 10 minutes in the game.
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Andy Greder, Twin Cities, 9 Feb. 2025
Hopefully, Saturday’s departure is an inconsequential scare, or something minor that Demko can attend to during this two-week international break, as opposed to something that might hamper Demko’s progress and availability down the stretch.
—Thomas Drance, The Athletic, 9 Feb. 2025
The Pelicans got within one on a 3-pointer by McCollum with 4:08 remaining, but the Kings got big baskets from Sabonis and DeMar DeRozan down the stretch.
—Jason Anderson, Sacramento Bee, 9 Feb. 2025
Menlo-Atherton held a nine-point lead in the fourth quarter, but the Bears went 3 of 10 from the free-throw line down the stretch.
—Christian Babcock, The Mercury News, 8 Feb. 2025
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Andy Greder, Twin Cities, 9 Feb. 2025
Hopefully, Saturday’s departure is an inconsequential scare, or something minor that Demko can attend to during this two-week international break, as opposed to something that might hamper Demko’s progress and availability down the stretch.
—Thomas Drance, The Athletic, 9 Feb. 2025
The Pelicans got within one on a 3-pointer by McCollum with 4:08 remaining, but the Kings got big baskets from Sabonis and DeMar DeRozan down the stretch.
—Jason Anderson, Sacramento Bee, 9 Feb. 2025
Menlo-Atherton held a nine-point lead in the fourth quarter, but the Bears went 3 of 10 from the free-throw line down the stretch.
—Christian Babcock, The Mercury News, 8 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for the stretch
Dictionary Entries Near the stretch
Cite this Entry
“The stretch.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20stretch. Accessed 23 Feb. 2025.
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