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
Saturday’s showdown will feature two of the nation’s best quarterbacks and should come down to the wire like last year’s matchup in Waco, a 37-34 Baylor win.
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Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 17 Oct. 2025
Multiple games came down to the wire in Week 6, and NFL fans hope for more exciting matchups in Week 7.
—Ryan Canfield, FOXNews.com, 15 Oct. 2025
The Mariners were down to the wire against the Tigers.
—Kilty Cleary, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Oct. 2025
Payton took notice, but didn’t think the wire was on the kick’s line because of Tottenham’s design.
—Parker Gabriel, Denver Post, 10 Oct. 2025
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Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 17 Oct. 2025
Multiple games came down to the wire in Week 6, and NFL fans hope for more exciting matchups in Week 7.
—Ryan Canfield, FOXNews.com, 15 Oct. 2025
The Mariners were down to the wire against the Tigers.
—Kilty Cleary, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Oct. 2025
Payton took notice, but didn’t think the wire was on the kick’s line because of Tottenham’s design.
—Parker Gabriel, Denver Post, 10 Oct. 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 22 Oct. 2025.
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