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
The Rams and top-seeded Seahawks will meet for a third time this year after splitting two regular-season games that went down to the wire.
—
Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 Jan. 2026
After the media event, the kidnapper released Hall from the wire.
—Domenica Bongiovanni, IndyStar, 15 Jan. 2026
Saks Global’s race to the courthouse has come down to the wire.
—Evan Clark, Footwear News, 13 Jan. 2026
Add it all up, and this one should come down to the wire.
—Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 11 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for the wire
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 Jan. 2026
After the media event, the kidnapper released Hall from the wire.
—Domenica Bongiovanni, IndyStar, 15 Jan. 2026
Saks Global’s race to the courthouse has come down to the wire.
—Evan Clark, Footwear News, 13 Jan. 2026
Add it all up, and this one should come down to the wire.
—Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 11 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for the wire
Cite this Entry
“The wire.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20wire. Accessed 30 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
