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

The band is wide and stretchy for a smooth fit that doesn’t dig into your skin, and the wire-free design still gives you just enough shaping and lift. —Jeaneen Russell, PEOPLE, 4 Feb. 2026

Transfer the wings to the wire rack and spread out in an even layer, without the wings touching each other. —Robin Miller, AZCentral.com, 4 Feb. 2026

Shake off any excess, then place the strips at least 1 inch apart on the wire rack. —Dallas Morning News, 3 Feb. 2026

But this past year the Bulldogs, 12-1 entering the CFP, were knocked out in the final minute by Ole Miss, which then lost in the final minute to Miami, which then took Indiana to the wire in the championship. —Seth Emerson, New York Times, 3 Feb. 2026

Rhymes for the wire

• briar
• brier
• buyer
• choir
• crier
• cryer
• drier
• dryer
• eyer
• flier
• flyer
• friar