the stretch

noun

: the final straight part of a racecourse before the finish line

the horses are in the (final) stretch

—often used figuratively

She'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

Napoleon Solo, a horse that entered with 7-1 odds and had finished fifth in his last two races, won the Preakness on Saturday, overtaking the favorite Taj Mahal down the stretch while also holding off another strong contender, Iron Honor. —Andrew Greif, NBC news, 17 May 2026

Austere separated first, but Warming, jockeyed by John Velazquez, kept pace and overtook the lead down the stretch. —Taylor Lyons, Baltimore Sun, 16 May 2026

The favorite in Taj Mahal, the 1 horse, was in the lead from the start until the final turn until Napoleon Solo made his move on the outside and took the lead at the top of the stretch. —Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 16 May 2026

Viewer fatigue is less of a factor when stakes are raised down the stretch, though. —Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 16 May 2026

Rhymes for the stretch

• etch
• fetch
• fletch
• ketch
• sketch
• vetch
• wretch