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
As the Cardinals hover in and out of contention in a tight National League, the call on whether to buy, sell or hold ahead of MLB’s trade deadline — scheduled for 5 p.m. CT on July 31 — could go down to the wire.
—
Katie Woo, New York Times, 6 July 2025
Negotiations on this year’s New York City government budget are coming down to the wire — with several sticking points remaining as talks turned tense Thursday between City Council Democrats and Mayor Adams’ administration, according to sources familiar with the matter.
—Chris Sommerfeldt, New York Daily News, 26 June 2025
Apparently, that shark bit through the wire leader connecting the top hook to the bottom hook.
—Donald Millus, Outdoor Life, 3 July 2025
President Donald Trump's tax cut and spending bill came down to the wire as Senate Republican leaders scrambled to get all GOP members on board before the final vote Tuesday.
—Ivan Pereira, ABC News, 1 July 2025
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Katie Woo, New York Times, 6 July 2025
Negotiations on this year’s New York City government budget are coming down to the wire — with several sticking points remaining as talks turned tense Thursday between City Council Democrats and Mayor Adams’ administration, according to sources familiar with the matter.
—Chris Sommerfeldt, New York Daily News, 26 June 2025
Apparently, that shark bit through the wire leader connecting the top hook to the bottom hook.
—Donald Millus, Outdoor Life, 3 July 2025
President Donald Trump's tax cut and spending bill came down to the wire as Senate Republican leaders scrambled to get all GOP members on board before the final vote Tuesday.
—Ivan Pereira, ABC News, 1 July 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 21 Jul. 2025.
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