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
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Hoover ended up throwing for 376 yards and added two more touchdown passes, but for the second time in Big 12 play, he was outplayed by the opposing quarterback and had multiple game-changing turnovers that doomed the Horned Frogs down the stretch. Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 11 Oct. 2025 Pay attention to the American Conference, which will be full of high stakes and good games down the stretch. Chris Vannini, New York Times, 11 Oct. 2025 AccuWeather Chief Meteorologist Jon Porter told Newsweek the beaches at highest risk of disappearing were North Carolina's Outer Banks and the stretch of land from Virginia Beach to Toms River, New Jersey. Anna Skinner, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Oct. 2025 The visitors lost their fifth straight game, this one by a score of 3-0 at Allianz Field in St. Paul. Even a formation change couldn’t stop the losing streak, as Sporting KC has hit rock bottom down the stretch of the 2025 season. Daniel Sperry, Kansas City Star, 5 Oct. 2025 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 17 Oct. 2025.

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