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
-
In the end, the Basecamp V3 looks like an impressively small, capable trailer ready to carry all types of gear from its every free square inch - a high-capacity tiny hauler built to tow over rougher, narrower, steeper terrain than drivers towing larger trailers would ever dare try.—
C.C. Weiss
May 22,
New Atlas,
22 May 2026
-
But most memorably, the Bellucci plays a lonely, melancholy artist living on the farm whose role holds the key to the movie’s (however narrow) emotional strengths.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
22 May 2026
Adjective
-
Then, style it with jeans to hit the town for drinks with your closest friends.—
Caroline Hughes,
Travel + Leisure,
20 May 2026
-
Here, over a dozen or so hammocks hang from palm trees, swaying just over the water, close enough to dip your toes.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
19 May 2026
Adjective
-
And with tight refurbishment and decommissioning timelines, along with fire safety and hazardous substance compliance risks, many organizations simply don’t have the time to experiment with circularity techniques and default to funneling recyclable textiles into waste management.—
Jennifer Bringle,
Footwear News,
19 May 2026
-
Landry’s substantial golden parachute is likely to draw scrutiny from lawmakers and higher education watchdogs as Florida Republicans continue to push universities to demonstrate tighter oversight of spending and administration costs.—
Garrett Shanley,
Miami Herald,
19 May 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 23 May. 2026.
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