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 reality is a single starting pitcher can’t swing a team’s regular season fortunes all that much down the stretch. — Hannah Keyser, CNN Money, 13 Aug. 2026

The Twins needed pitching help and gave Dobnak a handful of starts down the stretch. — Kansas City Star, 13 Aug. 2026

DeWanna Bonner sealed it by making four straight free throws down the stretch. — ABC News, 12 Aug. 2026

Thomas added two free throws following Copper’s steal, and DeWanna Bonner sealed it by making four straight free throws down the stretch. — Kai Dizon, Daily News, 12 Aug. 2026

Rhymes for the stretch

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