as in narrow
showing little difference in the standing of the competitors
a down-to-the-wire contest for the pennant
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of down-to-the-wire
Less than a month ago, the Lakers squandered double-digit leads against the Phoenix Suns and Orlando Magic in down-to-the-wire defeats.
—
Benjamin Royer,
Oc Register,
19 Mar. 2026
The result is some down-to-the-wire races in several major categories.
—
David Sims,
The Atlantic,
13 Mar. 2026
One of the more memorable high school basketball postseasons in recent memory — highlighted with back-to-back, down-to-the-wire North Coast Section boys games at San Leandro High School on Saturday night — feeds into this week’s CIF Northern California tournament, which opens Tuesday.
—
Mitch Stephens,
San Francisco Chronicle,
2 Mar. 2026
That stress and pressure presented itself in a down-to-the-wire finish.
—
Tom Mulherin,
Boston Herald,
26 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for down-to-the-wire
Benjamin Royer,
Oc Register,
19 Mar. 2026
The result is some down-to-the-wire races in several major categories.
—
David Sims,
The Atlantic,
13 Mar. 2026
One of the more memorable high school basketball postseasons in recent memory — highlighted with back-to-back, down-to-the-wire North Coast Section boys games at San Leandro High School on Saturday night — feeds into this week’s CIF Northern California tournament, which opens Tuesday.
—
Mitch Stephens,
San Francisco Chronicle,
2 Mar. 2026
That stress and pressure presented itself in a down-to-the-wire finish.
—
Tom Mulherin,
Boston Herald,
26 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for down-to-the-wire
Recent Examples of Synonyms for down-to-the-wire
Adjective
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Many of Haaland’s bags are actually Haut à Courroies (HAC), the model that the Birkin is based off, but with a slightly taller and narrower profile.
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But with 10,000 baby boomers reportedly retiring every day and millions of businesses approaching a transition point, the window to get it right is narrow.
Adjective
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With the wrap in front of you, fold up the edge closest to you.
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Because wells in the region are large and close to one another, restarting production will require significant coordination across companies and countries to ensure consistent pressure across multiple wells.
Adjective
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With life spent largely on transit, navigating tight layovers, and using their days off to jet-set across the globe, flight attendants have mastered the art of packing.
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Polls overall anticipate a tight race, including a June 19 survey by the news site Zeteo showing DeGette trailing Kiros 41% to 36%.
Cite this Entry
“Down-to-the-wire.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/down-to-the-wire. Accessed 30 Jun. 2026.
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