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 Speakership may be up for grabs after House Republicans criticized Johnson for Tuesday’s CR, which came down to the wire.
—
Ashleigh Fields, The Hill, 18 Dec. 2024
Oklahoma City lost a close game to Houston earlier in December, falling by three points in a thriller that came down to the wire.
—Nick Crain, Forbes, 15 Dec. 2024
In a divisional showdown, the Chiefs defeated the Los Angeles Chargers 19-17 in a game that came down to the wire.
—Paul Du Quenoy, Newsweek, 9 Dec. 2024
Mizuhara pretended to be Ohtani in calls from his phone to bank employees about the wire transfers, according to a 36-page complaint filed in April, and used biographical details from Ohtani’s life to pass security challenges.
—Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 3 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for the wire 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Ashleigh Fields, The Hill, 18 Dec. 2024
Oklahoma City lost a close game to Houston earlier in December, falling by three points in a thriller that came down to the wire.
—Nick Crain, Forbes, 15 Dec. 2024
In a divisional showdown, the Chiefs defeated the Los Angeles Chargers 19-17 in a game that came down to the wire.
—Paul Du Quenoy, Newsweek, 9 Dec. 2024
Mizuhara pretended to be Ohtani in calls from his phone to bank employees about the wire transfers, according to a 36-page complaint filed in April, and used biographical details from Ohtani’s life to pass security challenges.
—Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 3 Dec. 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 2 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share