the stretch
noun
: the final straight part of a racecourse before the finish line
the horses are in the (final) stretch
—often used figurativelyShe's in the final stretch. The baby's due next month.
They will wind up the season with a winning record having won some crucial games down the stretch.
Examples of the stretch in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The Mavericks made critical free throws down the stretch and 16 of 17 overall (94.1%) compared to Minnesota’s 11 of 18.
—
Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 23 May 2024
Ansen Park had two of his game-high four assists during the stretch.
—Craig J. Clary, Baltimore Sun, 13 May 2024
The Panthers were unusually sloppy on defense end down the stretch and Boston took full advantage in an eventual 5-1 Florida loss in Game 1 on Monday at Amerant Bank Arena.
—Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 7 May 2024
The offense found a way to click down the stretch against the Rangers pitching staff.
—Jaylon Thompson, Kansas City Star, 4 May 2024
The Preakness might be a better distance for Mystik Dan, who almost surrendered the lead in the stretch at Churchill Downs.
—John Cherwa, Los Angeles Times, 11 May 2024
Kicking off on May 22, the stretch of shows will feature special guests All Time Low and Simple Plan.
—Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 10 May 2024
Gilgeous-Alexander assisted on two of the Thunder’s four 3-pointers during the run, then added the exclamation point on the stretch by sinking a 3-pointer from the top of the key to send the home crowd into a frenzy.
—Staff and Wire Report, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 8 May 2024
Sierra Leone lugged in and bumped Forever Young three times in the stretch, but jockey Ryusei Sakai didn't claim foul.
— Alex Sundby contributed reporting.
—CBS News, 4 May 2024
Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 23 May 2024
Ansen Park had two of his game-high four assists during the stretch.
—Craig J. Clary, Baltimore Sun, 13 May 2024
The Panthers were unusually sloppy on defense end down the stretch and Boston took full advantage in an eventual 5-1 Florida loss in Game 1 on Monday at Amerant Bank Arena.
—Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 7 May 2024
The offense found a way to click down the stretch against the Rangers pitching staff.
—Jaylon Thompson, Kansas City Star, 4 May 2024
The Preakness might be a better distance for Mystik Dan, who almost surrendered the lead in the stretch at Churchill Downs.
—John Cherwa, Los Angeles Times, 11 May 2024
Kicking off on May 22, the stretch of shows will feature special guests All Time Low and Simple Plan.
—Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 10 May 2024
Gilgeous-Alexander assisted on two of the Thunder’s four 3-pointers during the run, then added the exclamation point on the stretch by sinking a 3-pointer from the top of the key to send the home crowd into a frenzy.
—Staff and Wire Report, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 8 May 2024
Sierra Leone lugged in and bumped Forever Young three times in the stretch, but jockey Ryusei Sakai didn't claim foul.
— Alex Sundby contributed reporting.
—CBS News, 4 May 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'the stretch.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near the stretch
Cite this Entry
“The stretch.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20stretch. Accessed 28 May. 2024.
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