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down to the wire

At the very end of a process or project, especially one with a fast-approaching deadline.

Etymology:

  • From horse racing: approaching the wire that marks the winning line.
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He was almost done with the paper, but tomorrow's due date meant it would be down to the wire.

Submitted on September 01, 2009

Additional definitions for 'down to the wire':

Down to the WireRight up to the closing date/time, Running out of time;
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    "down to the wire." Phrases.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 29 Mar. 2024. <https://www.phrases.com/phrase/down-to-the-wire_3343>.

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