Deadlines · Time and plans
down to the wire
until the last moment
If something goes down to the wire, it is decided or finished at the very last moment.
This vs that
We finished ahead of schedule.
The work went down to the wire.
Hear it in real life
Did you finish the presentation?
Just about. It went right down to the wire.
The election went down to the wire, with only a handful of votes separating the two candidates.
Which sounds natural?
Psst — which one would you actually say?
The idiom is much more natural in conversation when describing a close or tense finish.
The mistake everyone makes
Not: The project went down to ‸ wire.
Say: The project went down to the wire.
The idiom needs the article 'the'.
Say it together
Whole chunks natives use with it.
go down to the wire
The negotiations went down to the wire.
The match went down to the wire.
Phrases to borrow
More for talking about deadlines.
be due by ___
The report is due by Friday afternoon.
work towards ___
We're working towards a Friday deadline.
Deadlines words
Time and plans · Deadlines: the words around “down to the wire”.
More connectionsMore deadlines words8
Your turn: say it out loud
It went down to the wire.
Say it out loud two or three times, until it feels like yours.
down to the wire
until the last moment
“The election went down to the wire, with only a handful of votes separating the two candidates.”
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