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
And that validated his belief that the Giants never were truly an option down the stretch.
—
Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 23 July 2024
By the time the stretch is over, their starting rotation should be more than just a little bit better.
—Evan Webeck, The Mercury News, 19 July 2024
After a 1-over Thursday, the 27-year-old crowd favorite had two triple-bogeys and was 7-over Friday through his first seven holes, but rallied down the stretch to finish 5-over to the cheers of the Scottish fans and avert disaster.
—Bob Gillespie, Charlotte Observer, 19 July 2024
Henderson and Yankees slugger Aaron Judge are battling each other for the AL MVP Award, and the one who plays like it down the stretch might also lead his team to the division crown.
—Tim Schwartz, Baltimore Sun, 19 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for the stretch 
Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 23 July 2024
By the time the stretch is over, their starting rotation should be more than just a little bit better.
—Evan Webeck, The Mercury News, 19 July 2024
After a 1-over Thursday, the 27-year-old crowd favorite had two triple-bogeys and was 7-over Friday through his first seven holes, but rallied down the stretch to finish 5-over to the cheers of the Scottish fans and avert disaster.
—Bob Gillespie, Charlotte Observer, 19 July 2024
Henderson and Yankees slugger Aaron Judge are battling each other for the AL MVP Award, and the one who plays like it down the stretch might also lead his team to the division crown.
—Tim Schwartz, Baltimore Sun, 19 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for the stretch
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'the stretch.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near the stretch
Cite this Entry
“The stretch.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20stretch. Accessed 26 Jul. 2024.
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