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
Maybe the wire wings covered in blue gauze strapped to my back could lift me into the air.
—
Literary Hub, 8 May 2026
But if the series comes down to the wire, the final two games of the Mountain Division Finals would come to Kansas City.
—Pj Green, Kansas City Star, 8 May 2026
Like her gown, the wire was golden and overlapped each other in loops pinned all over the front of her head.
—Essence, 5 May 2026
Over the last month and a half, more than a dozen new plays and musicals have opened in New York's theater district, coming in just under the wire before Tony Awards nominations are announced May 5.
—Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 3 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for the wire
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Literary Hub, 8 May 2026
But if the series comes down to the wire, the final two games of the Mountain Division Finals would come to Kansas City.
—Pj Green, Kansas City Star, 8 May 2026
Like her gown, the wire was golden and overlapped each other in loops pinned all over the front of her head.
—Essence, 5 May 2026
Over the last month and a half, more than a dozen new plays and musicals have opened in New York's theater district, coming in just under the wire before Tony Awards nominations are announced May 5.
—Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 3 May 2026
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 13 May. 2026.
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