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
Many of these races are likely to go down to the wire and nothing should be taken for granted.
—
Phillip M. Bailey, USA TODAY, 11 Oct. 2024
The triple decker protection is in place, but closer inspection shows that the wire mesh is damaged.
—David Hambling, Forbes, 3 Oct. 2024
Monday is the last day to register to vote ahead of Election Day, and for some Kentucky voters, registration is coming down to the wire.
—Hannah Pinski, The Courier-Journal, 7 Oct. 2024
And Jason is staying inside the wire, having cleansed the figurative blood off his hands.
—Matt Webb Mitovich, TVLine, 6 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for the wire 
Phillip M. Bailey, USA TODAY, 11 Oct. 2024
The triple decker protection is in place, but closer inspection shows that the wire mesh is damaged.
—David Hambling, Forbes, 3 Oct. 2024
Monday is the last day to register to vote ahead of Election Day, and for some Kentucky voters, registration is coming down to the wire.
—Hannah Pinski, The Courier-Journal, 7 Oct. 2024
And Jason is staying inside the wire, having cleansed the figurative blood off his hands.
—Matt Webb Mitovich, TVLine, 6 Oct. 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 5 Nov. 2024.
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