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

Nolte and Ben Mendelsohn, who makes a vivid impression as a farmer who encounters Caleb, were locked in early on, but otherwise, things went down to the wire. — David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 2 Sep. 2026

Part Three is likewise going down to the wire with its VFX, making a Venice premiere impossible. — Nate Jones, Vulture, 2 Sep. 2026

Although my pole reaches the branches, the wire at the end is too pliable and the branches too strong to be hooked and pulled down. — Jonathan Flint, Harpers Magazine, 1 Sep. 2026

Raw animal meats were not stored according to their type on the wire shelves, which posed a risk for cross-contamination, according to the inspector. — Joseph Hernandez august 31, Kansas City Star, 31 Aug. 2026

Rhymes for the wire

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