the stretch
noun
: the final straight part of a racecourse before the finish line
the horses are in the (final) stretch
—often used figurativelyShe's in the final stretch. The baby's due next month.
They will wind up the season with a winning record having won some crucial games down the stretch.
Examples of the stretch in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The Hornets lost 105-101 to Houston on Thursday night before a sellout crowd, with the 37-year-old Durant scoring a game-high 35 points and making every big play down the stretch.
—
Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 20 Feb. 2026
Summit wasn’t able to counter as the Eagles hit 11 of 14 free throws down the stretch to put the game away.
—Darren Lauber, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 20 Feb. 2026
The Bureau of Engineering selected Tetra Tech, a global engineering firm, to fortify and relight the stretch of road that connects downtown Los Angeles to Boyle Heights, which has essentially gone dark due to the amount of copper theft plaguing the area.
—Dean Fioresi, CBS News, 19 Feb. 2026
With so little recovery time, the majority of the team is playing through both physical and mental fatigue down the stretch.
—Emily Adams, Hartford Courant, 19 Feb. 2026
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Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 20 Feb. 2026
Summit wasn’t able to counter as the Eagles hit 11 of 14 free throws down the stretch to put the game away.
—Darren Lauber, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 20 Feb. 2026
The Bureau of Engineering selected Tetra Tech, a global engineering firm, to fortify and relight the stretch of road that connects downtown Los Angeles to Boyle Heights, which has essentially gone dark due to the amount of copper theft plaguing the area.
—Dean Fioresi, CBS News, 19 Feb. 2026
With so little recovery time, the majority of the team is playing through both physical and mental fatigue down the stretch.
—Emily Adams, Hartford Courant, 19 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for the stretch
Cite this Entry
“The stretch.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20stretch. Accessed 22 Feb. 2026.
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