down to the wire

Idioms  

1. To the last minute; to the very end. For example, We're just about down to the wire with this project. This term comes from horseracing, where it was long the practice to stretch a wire across and above the track at the finish line. It was extended to figurative use about 1900.

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Example Sentences

Even down to the wire, many people can still quickly gather the needed paperwork, Steber said.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 14, 2026

Arfield, though, believes "this title race is going to go right down to the wire" and that none of the three teams will be thinking about where the points might come in the run-in.

From BBC • Apr. 12, 2026

Twelve different political parties were on the ballot paper, and this tightly contested race has come right down to the wire.

From BBC • Mar. 24, 2026

‘Sinners’ or ‘One Battle After Another’? With plenty of categories coming down to the wire, our awards columnist makes his final Oscar predictions.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 11, 2026

We went over to my hootch, picked up our gear, and then moved through the night down to the wire.

From "The Things They Carried" by Tim O'Brien