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
The Nets never meaningfully cut into the gap down the stretch.
—
C.j. Holmes, New York Daily News, 6 Feb. 2026
Christie was asked if the team’s front office influenced his decision to play the youngsters down the stretch.
—Jason Anderson, Sacbee.com, 5 Feb. 2026
The trade deadline is on March 6, and general manager Mike Grier will have to decide whether to sell off one or more of his pending unrestricted free agents or keep them for the stretch run and risk losing them for nothing this summer.
—Curtis Pashelka, Mercury News, 5 Feb. 2026
Jones, who cramped at the end of the key and missed key minutes down the stretch, finished with a career-high 21 points.
—John Maffei, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for the stretch
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C.j. Holmes, New York Daily News, 6 Feb. 2026
Christie was asked if the team’s front office influenced his decision to play the youngsters down the stretch.
—Jason Anderson, Sacbee.com, 5 Feb. 2026
The trade deadline is on March 6, and general manager Mike Grier will have to decide whether to sell off one or more of his pending unrestricted free agents or keep them for the stretch run and risk losing them for nothing this summer.
—Curtis Pashelka, Mercury News, 5 Feb. 2026
Jones, who cramped at the end of the key and missed key minutes down the stretch, finished with a career-high 21 points.
—John Maffei, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Feb. 2026
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 9 Feb. 2026.
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