the wire
noun
US
: a thin piece of string that the winner of a race breaks through at the end of the race
The marathon ended in a sprint to the wire by the two top runners.
—often used figurativelyThe election went/came (right) down to the wire.
Examples of the wire in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The Niners are now 4-1 and 3-0 in their division that again figures to go down to the wire after missing the playoffs last year.
—
Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 4 Oct. 2025
After Seahawks-Cardinals came down to the wire on TNF in Week 4, last night's 49ers-Rams matchup delivered another memorable ending to kickstart Week 5.
—Tyler Everett, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Oct. 2025
When the wire is disconnected, carefully turn the spark plug counterclockwise to loosen and remove it.
—Timothy Dale, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 Oct. 2025
People are going to hit the wire at the same exact time.
—Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for the wire
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Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 4 Oct. 2025
After Seahawks-Cardinals came down to the wire on TNF in Week 4, last night's 49ers-Rams matchup delivered another memorable ending to kickstart Week 5.
—Tyler Everett, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Oct. 2025
When the wire is disconnected, carefully turn the spark plug counterclockwise to loosen and remove it.
—Timothy Dale, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 Oct. 2025
People are going to hit the wire at the same exact time.
—Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for the wire
Cite this Entry
“The wire.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20wire. Accessed 7 Oct. 2025.
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