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

Against Grand Canyon, Dutcher went with Tae Simmons for much of the game, starting the 6-6 freshman in the second half and playing him down the stretch when the Aztecs came from 12 points down to take the lead in the final minute on his tip-in. —Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Jan. 2026

Jacqueline Rhoades, the infrastructure director for Arvada, told the council that the city now planned to repave the stretch of 72nd from Oak Street to Kipling Street that was being prepped for the underpass project. —John Aguilar, Denver Post, 23 Jan. 2026

Because the Twins tanked down the stretch in 2024 and 2025, that skid remains the leading indicator of the team’s recent success. —John Shipley, Twin Cities, 23 Jan. 2026

More than 275,600 motorists travel the stretch each day. —Heather McRea, Oc Register, 23 Jan. 2026

Rhymes for the stretch

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