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

Should Kim Mulkey had let off the gas just a bit down the stretch? — Zach Dean Outkick, FOXNews.com, 6 Nov. 2026

The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee also scrapped some ad buys in both states down the stretch, decisions that paid off as the party won both seats early on Tuesday night. — Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 4 Nov. 2026

Riley scored six points, including an alley-oop dunk, during the stretch. — ABC News, 3 Nov. 2026

Still, Peralta did enough down the stretch to restore some value and should garner interest as a lower-cost — but still not cheap — top-of-the-rotation alternative to Skubal. — Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 3 Nov. 2026

Rhymes for the stretch

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