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

Ashlon Jackson scored 18 points, with a number of threes down the stretch to put the game away. — Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 25 Sep. 2026

Grichuk has been that and much more, particularly down the stretch. — Meghan Montemurro, Chicago Tribune, 25 Sep. 2026

Thursday night’s game against the Packers starts the stretch as the Dirty Birds head to Lambeau Field with Penix expected to make his first start of the season. — Kyle Feldscher, CNN Money, 24 Sep. 2026

The Royals continue to evaluate their bullpen options down the stretch. — Kansas City Star, 24 Sep. 2026

Rhymes for the stretch

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