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
In a battle between two undefeated NFC teams, the Buccaneers and Eagles played a tale of two halves that came down to the wire.
—
The Athletic Nfl Staff, New York Times, 29 Sep. 2025
Keller has played five extremely close games that have come down to the wire, much to the chagrin of head coach Carl Stralow.
—Darren Lauber, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 Sep. 2025
YouTube last negotiated a new deal in 2021, and had to agree to a short extension when talks went down to the wire.
—Brian Steinberg, Variety, 26 Sep. 2025
If Trevor Lawrence, who has already thrown four picks this year, can avoid turning the ball over, then Jacksonville (2-1) should be able to take this game down to the wire.
—Tyler Everett, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for the wire
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The Athletic Nfl Staff, New York Times, 29 Sep. 2025
Keller has played five extremely close games that have come down to the wire, much to the chagrin of head coach Carl Stralow.
—Darren Lauber, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 Sep. 2025
YouTube last negotiated a new deal in 2021, and had to agree to a short extension when talks went down to the wire.
—Brian Steinberg, Variety, 26 Sep. 2025
If Trevor Lawrence, who has already thrown four picks this year, can avoid turning the ball over, then Jacksonville (2-1) should be able to take this game down to the wire.
—Tyler Everett, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 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 30 Sep. 2025.
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