Idiom
Down to the wire
If something goes down to the wire, it is not decided or finished until the very last moment.
How people use it
People use this for close contests, elections, deadlines and negotiations: "The game came down to the wire." It can also describe working right up to a deadline: "We're down to the wire on this report." Common verbs are go, come and get. The tone is informal to neutral and common in sports reporting and office talk. It suggests suspense or pressure, because the result stays uncertain until the end.
Also said: come down to the wire.
Examples
- The spelling bee went down to the wire, with two kids left after twenty rounds.
- We worked down to the wire and finished the slides five minutes before the meeting.
- Ticket sales came down to the wire, but we filled the hall.
Where it comes from
The phrase comes from American horse racing in the late 1800s. A wire was stretched across the track above the finish line to help judges see which horse crossed first. A race that stayed close until the horses reached the wire was said to go down to the wire.
Check yourself
1. If an election goes down to the wire, what happens?
Answer: The result is unclear until the very end. Down to the wire means undecided until the last moment.
2. Which sentence uses the idiom correctly?
Answer: The final went down to the wire, and the winning goal came in overtime.. A last-minute winning goal shows a contest decided at the very end.
Similar idioms
Word game fan? See every word hiding in WIRE.