the stretch

noun

: the final straight part of a racecourse before the finish line

the horses are in the (final) stretch

—often used figuratively

She'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

While playing his first full season as a starter last year, Manning looked like an erratic youngster for the first half of 2025, before eventually settling in and playing much better ball down the stretch. —Nick Baumgardner, New York Times, 27 Apr. 2026

After Urena departed, the Royals took aim at the Angels’ bullpen and scored four times down the stretch. —Jaylon Thompson, Kansas City Star, 26 Apr. 2026

Franz Wagner hit the biggest shots down the stretch. —John Niyo, The Orlando Sentinel, 26 Apr. 2026

Houston entered the match on the back of consecutive shutout victories, including a 1-0 win over San Diego on Wednesday, but struggled to convert chances despite generating pressure down the stretch. —ABC News, 25 Apr. 2026

Rhymes for the stretch

• etch
• fetch
• fletch
• ketch
• sketch
• vetch
• wretch