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 figuratively
The election went/came (right) down to the wire.

Examples of the wire in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
And if authorities investigate the wire fraud allegations for Freedom 250, the Department of Justice, and possibly the FBI, may get involved in the investigation. — Sarah Webber, The Conversation, 6 Aug. 2026 And with just one episode to go before House of the Dragon moves into its fourth and final season, things are starting to get down to the wire. — Megan McCluskey, Time, 3 Aug. 2026 Days later, Brun was caught on the wire plotting to acquire a rifle for Manguchei, who, as a felon, was not allowed to own firearms. — Guthrie Scrimgeour, Rolling Stone, 2 Aug. 2026 Flaco, who lived in the Central Park Zoo for 13 years, escaped when someone cut the wire mesh on his cage. — Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 1 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for the wire

Rhymes for the wire

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Browse Nearby Words

the willies
the wire
the wit
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Cite this Entry

“The wire.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20wire. Accessed 17 Aug. 2026.

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