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 figuratively
The election went/came (right) down to the wire.

Examples of the wire in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
New York City's Democratic primary for mayor is coming down to the wire, with dueling polls painting starkly different pictures of the race's outcome. Hannah Parry amanda Castro, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 June 2025 Qualification for the knockout stages of the Club World Cup from group E will go down to the wire after Monterrey held River Plate to a 0-0 draw at the Rose Bowl. Felipe Cardenas, New York Times, 22 June 2025 Hurley has another competitive roster returning at UConn, and a hunger to get back to the sport’s pinnacle after winning back-to-back titles in ’23 and ’24, and taking the eventual champs down to the wire this past March. Kels Dayton, Hartford Courant, 4 June 2025 And once again, the two teams will meet in the Cup final with last year’s series going down to the wire in a historic Game 7. Sean Neumann, People.com, 4 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for the wire

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Cite this Entry

“The wire.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20wire. Accessed 30 Jun. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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