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
Still, the Royals couldn’t regain the lead down the stretch.
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Jaylon Thompson, Kansas City Star, 26 June 2024
Former head coach Jacque Vaughn was fired during the All-Star break in February and Kevin Ollie served as the team’s interim head coach down the stretch.
—C.j. Holmes, New York Daily News, 26 June 2024
Two summers ago, the Orioles approached the trade deadline in a position similar to the current Nats — on the fringes of the race but with a higher probability of fading down the stretch than roaring into October as a true contender.
—Barry Svrluga, Washington Post, 25 June 2024
This time, as the last of the PGA Tour’s eight Signature Events drew nearly all of the top 50 golfers in the world, five came down the stretch tied at 19-under before Scheffler broke ahead with a string of birdies.
—Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 23 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for the stretch 
Jaylon Thompson, Kansas City Star, 26 June 2024
Former head coach Jacque Vaughn was fired during the All-Star break in February and Kevin Ollie served as the team’s interim head coach down the stretch.
—C.j. Holmes, New York Daily News, 26 June 2024
Two summers ago, the Orioles approached the trade deadline in a position similar to the current Nats — on the fringes of the race but with a higher probability of fading down the stretch than roaring into October as a true contender.
—Barry Svrluga, Washington Post, 25 June 2024
This time, as the last of the PGA Tour’s eight Signature Events drew nearly all of the top 50 golfers in the world, five came down the stretch tied at 19-under before Scheffler broke ahead with a string of birdies.
—Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 23 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for the stretch
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'the stretch.' 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 stretch
Cite this Entry
“The stretch.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20stretch. Accessed 7 Jul. 2024.
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