Down to the wire means a result stays uncertain, or work goes on, until the last possible moment. The final went down to the wire: the winner was only clear at the very end. Negotiations went right down to the wire: they agreed at the last minute. Right makes it stronger: to the very, very end.
When would you say down to the wire?
Write a sentence — we'll check that the expression fits the situation and suggest what to fix.
The check is taking longer than usual. Your feedback will appear here automatically.
go down to the wire; right down to the wire
- The final went down to the wire, with neither team ahead until the last minute.
- Negotiations went right down to the wire before an agreement was signed.
- The costume repairs went right down to the wire; we finished just before the doors opened.
What changed
First versionThe contest went up to the wire before a winner emerged.
RevisionThe contest went down to the wire before a winner emerged.
Up to the last minute and up until the end are common, so up to the wire looks logical. But the idiom always goes down: go down to the wire. Replacing up with down makes it recognisable.
In the nick of time means just in time: you made it, and that's what matters. Down to the wire is about tension: everything was undecided until the end. At the last minute is simply late, with no drama: He cancelled at the last minute.
Your turn
Complete the idiom about a result decided at the last possible moment: The match went ___ to the wire.
Show the answer
down — The idiom is go down to the wire. Up to is suggested by phrases like up to the last minute, but it never appears in this expression.
Write about a match, an election or a project whose result was decided at the very last moment.
The vote went down to the wire, and the final ballot decided the result.
Learn to use new words without mistakes
Write phrases with the words you are learning. LetsWords shows mistakes in usage and grammar, suggests corrections and explains them, and review helps the words stick.