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
Game 2 came down to the wire with the score tied at 104 with 10 seconds to go.
—
Jack Dunn, Variety, 9 June 2026
Photos show Jameela climbing on the wire enclosure, accepting a bit of food through one of the openings and riding on the back of her new mother.
—Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 6 June 2026
The arena went down to the wire, with missing seats, unfinished amenities (like running water in bathrooms), and a small ice delay before ultimately hosting the games.
—Tim Genske, Forbes.com, 6 June 2026
Robinson faces 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, or twice the gain or loss, for the wire fraud count.
—Alex Acquisto, ProPublica, 5 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for the wire
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Jack Dunn, Variety, 9 June 2026
Photos show Jameela climbing on the wire enclosure, accepting a bit of food through one of the openings and riding on the back of her new mother.
—Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 6 June 2026
The arena went down to the wire, with missing seats, unfinished amenities (like running water in bathrooms), and a small ice delay before ultimately hosting the games.
—Tim Genske, Forbes.com, 6 June 2026
Robinson faces 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, or twice the gain or loss, for the wire fraud count.
—Alex Acquisto, ProPublica, 5 June 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 15 Jun. 2026.
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