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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Recent Examples of down-to-the-wire
Skokie’s election season did not end on Election Day, and a district trustee declared victory in a down-to-the-wire finish almost two weeks after the polls closed.
—
Richard Requena, Chicago Tribune, 22 Apr. 2025
Unfortunately, for those of us who love down-to-the-wire drama, most of the major domestic leagues have very little to play for.
—Brett Koremenos, New York Times, 11 Apr. 2025
Following her nose to a funeral where Arthur has managed to convince the dithering family to cremate rather than go with burial, Elsbeth has her most down-to-the-wire crime-proving moment yet.
—Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 11 Apr. 2025
The Quad 3 loss was the second such defeat of the season for the Huskies, who suffered a similar down-to-the-wire loss to Colorado in the second game of the Maui Invitational in November.
—Joe Arruda, Hartford Courant, 18 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for down-to-the-wire
Richard Requena, Chicago Tribune, 22 Apr. 2025
Unfortunately, for those of us who love down-to-the-wire drama, most of the major domestic leagues have very little to play for.
—Brett Koremenos, New York Times, 11 Apr. 2025
Following her nose to a funeral where Arthur has managed to convince the dithering family to cremate rather than go with burial, Elsbeth has her most down-to-the-wire crime-proving moment yet.
—Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 11 Apr. 2025
The Quad 3 loss was the second such defeat of the season for the Huskies, who suffered a similar down-to-the-wire loss to Colorado in the second game of the Maui Invitational in November.
—Joe Arruda, Hartford Courant, 18 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for down-to-the-wire
Recent Examples of Synonyms for down-to-the-wire
Adjective
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In more challenging games, however, the side often flatters to deceive and occasionally slips up, as a narrow 2-1 victory over Boca Juniors and 0-1 loss to Benfica showed.—
Zak Garner-Purkis,
Forbes.com,
30 June 2025
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Nothing dramatizes the human comedy with more precision than the sound of a happily narrow mind retorting to the wider environment.—
Anthony Lane,
New Yorker,
30 June 2025
Adjective
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The championship is Oklahoma City’s first since relocating from Seattle in 2008; for the Pacers, close wasn’t good enough for their second straight season with a strong playoff run before falling to the eventual NBA champs.—
USA TODAY,
USA Today,
28 June 2025
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Some of my friends sent them a gift, knowing why they were not invited but three of my close friends didn’t send anything (even a card would have been thoughtful).—
R. Eric Thomas,
Chicago Tribune,
28 June 2025
Adjective
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The timeline is tight—most growth drivers need to materialize before 2028—but the groundwork is established.—
Trefis Team,
Forbes.com,
27 June 2025
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Powell is in a tight spot because the U.S. rate of inflation is still above 3%.—
Jim Edwards,
Fortune,
26 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Down-to-the-wire.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/down-to-the-wire. Accessed 4 Jul. 2025.
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