"We finished at the last minute. It came down to the wire!"
Idiom: down to the wire
Definition: adj./adv. phr., happening at the last minute or the very end.This popular idiom comes from horse racing, where wires were put across tracks to show winners, even if two or more horses were close at the race’s end.Nowadays we have a photo-finish for horse racing, where images show exactly which horse has the lead as they cross the finish line.Down to the wire is an example of an idiom that comes from sports. We have numerous idioms from racing competitions, from running races, to car races to horse races.One related idiom is by a nose, as in win by a nose. If a horse wins by a nose, it is ahead only the length of its nose.The idiom down to the wire is vocabulary for intermediate- to advanced-level English learners.
Examples
Present: These two basketball teams play each regularly, and their games often come down to the wire.Past: The project at work was getting down to the wire; we finished at the last minute.
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