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 figuratively
The election went/came (right) down to the wire.

Examples of the wire in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Blowing late-game leads had become a troubling trend for the Clippers this season, which pushed their first five games down to the wire. Janis Carr, Orange County Register, 6 Nov. 2024 The Mustangs took Cherry Creek down to the wire in last year’s semifinal. Matt Schubert, The Denver Post, 6 Nov. 2024 The race between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump, as well as the battle for Congress, are down to the wire. Fred Imbert, CNBC, 5 Nov. 2024 The race will decide the outcome of the championship with the tussle between Prima Pramac Racing's Spaniard Jorge Martin and Ducati's Italian twice champion Francesco Bagnaia going down to the wire after Bagnaia won the Malaysia Grand Prix on Sunday. Reuters, 5 Nov. 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 21 Nov. 2024.

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