as in narrow
showing little difference in the standing of the competitors
a down-to-the-wire contest for the pennant
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of down-to-the-wire
That stress and pressure presented itself in a down-to-the-wire finish.
—
Tom Mulherin, Boston Herald, 26 Feb. 2026
Fresh off a historic state championship title, the Saint Mary's varsity football team is back in Stockton after a nail-biting down-to-the-wire win in Southern California against Bakersfield Christian.
—Charlie Lapastora, CBS News, 16 Dec. 2025
Another week, another down-to-the-wire win for Denver.
—Joe Nguyen, Denver Post, 2 Dec. 2025
Some chains might have their lights off for the holiday, but others, like Dollar General, are staying open for down-to-the-wire purchases.
—Christopher Rudolph, PEOPLE, 27 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for down-to-the-wire
Tom Mulherin, Boston Herald, 26 Feb. 2026
Fresh off a historic state championship title, the Saint Mary's varsity football team is back in Stockton after a nail-biting down-to-the-wire win in Southern California against Bakersfield Christian.
—Charlie Lapastora, CBS News, 16 Dec. 2025
Another week, another down-to-the-wire win for Denver.
—Joe Nguyen, Denver Post, 2 Dec. 2025
Some chains might have their lights off for the holiday, but others, like Dollar General, are staying open for down-to-the-wire purchases.
—Christopher Rudolph, PEOPLE, 27 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for down-to-the-wire
Recent Examples of Synonyms for down-to-the-wire
Adjective
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The shape of a pot affects drainage, with taller, narrower pots draining better than shorter, wider ones.—
Paul Cappiello,
Louisville Courier Journal,
17 Apr. 2026
-
The Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, previously handled about 20 percent of the world’s oil shipments.—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
17 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Xi said China and Russia need to use closer and stronger strategic collaboration to defend the legitimate interests of both nations and safeguard the unity of Global South countries, the state broadcaster CCTV reported.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
15 Apr. 2026
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At the same time, the dispatcher works on alerting one of the 17 closest fire stations.—
Morgan Rynor,
CBS News,
15 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch denounced a sustained crackdown on dissent under Talon, citing arbitrary detentions, tighter restrictions on public demonstrations and mounting pressure on independent media outlets.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
14 Apr. 2026
-
The pope arrived at the ruins in a rainstorm and with tight security, with sharpshooters positioned around the site and police officers stationed every few yards along roads leading to it.—
Nicole Winfield,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Down-to-the-wire.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/down-to-the-wire. Accessed 21 Apr. 2026.
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