How to Use down-to-the-wire in a Sentence

down-to-the-wire

adjective
  • That figures to make for some low scores and maybe a down-to-the-wire finish.
    — Sam Farmer, Los Angeles Times, 8 Apr. 2023
  • That stress and pressure presented itself in a down-to-the-wire finish.
    — Tom Mulherin, Boston Herald, 26 Feb. 2026
  • The result is some down-to-the-wire races in several major categories.
    — David Sims, The Atlantic, 13 Mar. 2026
  • The game followed a championship series filled with down-to-the-wire face-offs won by edge-of-your-seat buzzer beaters.
    — Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 15 June 2026
  • Another week, another down-to-the-wire win for Denver.
    — Joe Nguyen, Denver Post, 2 Dec. 2025
  • While the coach spoke briefly about his heritage following the down-to-the-wire victory, he’s been open about his background in the past.
    — Kimmy Yam, NBC News, 10 Jan. 2025
  • Another super-small spread (-1 for the Jags) hints at down-to-the-wire showmanship.
    — Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2025
  • Dallas fought back and forced a hold situation in the 65th minute as both teams prepared for a down-to-the-wire finish.
    — Matt Guzman, Kansas City Star, 8 July 2024
  • The Chiefs and Lions advanced with tough, down-to-the-wire victories on Sunday.
    — Rob Maaddi, USA TODAY, 22 Jan. 2024
  • Unfortunately, for those of us who love down-to-the-wire drama, most of the major domestic leagues have very little to play for.
    — Brett Koremenos, New York Times, 11 Apr. 2025
  • There is always some down-to-the-wire confusion when high-profile companies are fighting for their financial futures.
    — Evan Clark, Footwear News, 3 Sep. 2019
  • With two elite quarterbacks, top-tier offenses, and strong defenses, this game has all the ingredients for a down-to-the-wire finish.
    — Joel Thayer, Newsweek, 26 Jan. 2025
  • Muhl’s appearance was brief in the down-to-the-wire battle, which ended in an 85-83 victory for the Storm.
    — Emily Adams, Hartford Courant, 25 May 2024
  • Through two full rounds, these playoffs have given us down-to-the-wire finishes, big time upsets and huge individual performances.
    — The Arizona Republic, 24 Feb. 2023
  • 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
  • Jacobs is notorious for down-to-the-wire decisions, and the beauty for his 40th anniversary show was no exception.
    — Arden Fanning Andrews, Vogue, 3 Feb. 2024
  • Skokie’s election season did not end on Election Day, and a district trustee declared victory in a down-to-the-wire finish almost two weeks after the polls closed.
    — Richard Requena, Chicago Tribune, 22 Apr. 2025
  • Pittman and company are out to find ways to reverse their fortunes in down-to-the-wire games, and a big part of that is converting on short-yardage plays and in the red zone and getting off the field more often on third and fourth downs on defense.
    — Tom Murphy, Arkansas Online, 4 Aug. 2023
  • Westfield ended Carmel’s seven-year sectional title reign last year in a down-to-the-wire 59-54 sectional championship game.
    — The Indianapolis Star, 28 Feb. 2023
  • In a fierce, down-to-the-wire battle with eventual winner Josef Newgarden, Grosjean lined up a couple of late runs at the leader but could never quite connect.
    — Nathan Brown, The Indianapolis Star, 18 Apr. 2023
  • Less than a month ago, the Lakers squandered double-digit leads against the Phoenix Suns and Orlando Magic in down-to-the-wire defeats.
    — Benjamin Royer, Oc Register, 19 Mar. 2026
  • The down-to-the-wire game ended when Wildcats quarterback Jayden de Laura was stuffed inches short of a first down on a 4th-and-10 scramble in overtime.
    — Joe Freeman, oregonlive, 15 Sep. 2023
  • The June 2026 election has been dominated by a down-to-the-wire governor’s race that has been filled with drama, scandal and much national attention.
    — Times Staff, Los Angeles Times, 1 June 2026
  • Following her nose to a funeral where Arthur has managed to convince the dithering family to cremate rather than go with burial, Elsbeth has her most down-to-the-wire crime-proving moment yet.
    — Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 11 Apr. 2025
  • The true significance of Pakistan's intervention only became clear when both sides agreed to a pause shortly after a down-to-the-wire plea from the country's prime minister, Shehbaz Sharif.
    — Betsy Joles, NPR, 12 Apr. 2026
  • The true significance of Pakistan's intervention only became clear when both sides agreed to a pause shortly after a down-to-the-wire plea from the country's prime minister, Shehbaz Sharif.
    — Betsy Joles, NPR, 11 Apr. 2026
  • With the country’s top high school athletes competing, the New Balance Nationals indoor track meet produces down-to-the-wire finishes and shattered personal records in nearly every event.
    — Matty Wasserman, BostonGlobe.com, 11 Mar. 2023
  • Behind another 100-plus medal performance and a down-to-the-wire race for the most gold medals are tentacles that stretch from the most hallowed academic halls to the after-school recreation program at the local YMCA.
    — Matthew Futterman, The Athletic, 11 Aug. 2024
  • 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
  • According to sensors at Collège Jean-de-Brébeuf and McQuill University, the multiple small earthquakes and seismic activity occurred during primetime ET goals scored by the Original Six team in their Stanley Cup second round down-to-the-wire battle with the formidable Sabres.
    — Dominic Patten, Deadline, 19 May 2026

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'down-to-the-wire.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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