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

The Sox went 9-7 during the stretch against the Cincinnati Reds (1-2), Detroit Tigers (3-0), Cubs (1-2), Atlanta Braves (0-1), New York Mets (2-1) and Rangers (2-1). — Meghan Montemurro, Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 2026

Analysts were only expecting about 45% topline growth over the stretch. — Zev Fima, CNBC, 27 Aug. 2026

And Pasquantino has a chance to make a strong case down the stretch. — Kansas City Star, 27 Aug. 2026

In 2024, Burke’s squad dragged itself off the mat after an awful (yet at the time, typical) start to the season to go unbeaten in 12 of 13 matches down the stretch and narrowly miss the playoffs. — Kels Dayton, Hartford Courant, 27 Aug. 2026

Rhymes for the stretch

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