the stretch

noun

: the final straight part of a racecourse before the finish line

the horses are in the (final) stretch

—often used figuratively

She'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

These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Vučević has improved to 11-for-21 from 3-point range this season after shooting only 29.4% behind the arc last season, a crucial improvement from the stretch center. —

Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 29 Oct. 2024 Pollsters agreed that that the election will likely be decided by which campaign does the better job of turning out voters in the stretch leading up to Election Day. —

David Jackson, USA TODAY, 28 Oct. 2024 Defensive improvement down the stretch pushed them ahead of the Chisox on this list. —

Tony Blengino, Forbes, 23 Oct. 2024 Gianna Corona served three aces during the stretch for the Terriers, who were up 24-18 when Burnett began serving the Eagles back into the game. —

Martin Henderson, Orange County Register, 23 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for the stretch