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
Mold the wire to the shape of the container as needed.
—
Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 29 June 2024
The state budget Although Moore’s $63.1 billion budget passed, negotiations were down to the wire during the last two weeks of the legislative session while the state faced the Key Bridge collapse.
—Kiersten Hacker, Baltimore Sun, 28 June 2024
The Chiefs defeated the Buffalo Bills on Sunday in a taxing battle that came down to the wire in a tight 27-24 victory.
—Anthony Robledo, USA TODAY, 25 June 2024
Over the last 25 years, the Skytrax Awards have built a reputation as the Oscars of the airline world—and picking this year’s winner came down to the wire.
—Bychris Morris, Fortune, 25 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for the wire 
Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 29 June 2024
The state budget Although Moore’s $63.1 billion budget passed, negotiations were down to the wire during the last two weeks of the legislative session while the state faced the Key Bridge collapse.
—Kiersten Hacker, Baltimore Sun, 28 June 2024
The Chiefs defeated the Buffalo Bills on Sunday in a taxing battle that came down to the wire in a tight 27-24 victory.
—Anthony Robledo, USA TODAY, 25 June 2024
Over the last 25 years, the Skytrax Awards have built a reputation as the Oscars of the airline world—and picking this year’s winner came down to the wire.
—Bychris Morris, Fortune, 25 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for the wire
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'the wire.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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 7 Jul. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share