homestretch

noun

home·​stretch ˈhōm-ˈstrech How to pronounce homestretch (audio)
1
: the part of a racecourse between the last turn and the winning post
2
: a final stage

Examples of homestretch in a Sentence

The horses are in the homestretch.
Recent Examples on the Web Only good things have been happening lately for long-suffering Washington State (20-6, 11-3), which sits a half-game back of the Wildcats (20-5, 11-3) as the Pac-12 schedule hits the homestretch. Dave Skretta, USA TODAY, 20 Feb. 2024 The conference races are coming down the homestretch and while No. 1 South Carolina basically has run away with the Southeastern Conference, many of the other Power Five leagues are still up for grabs. Doug Feinberg, USA TODAY, 20 Feb. 2024 The weather was wreaking havoc with candidates' schedules in the homestretch, CBS News Chicago reported. CBS News, 15 Jan. 2024 Smith, who had made the dash down this homestretch thousands of times, was stunned. Bill Dwyre, Los Angeles Times, 31 Dec. 2023 But returning to the homestretch of the race along Boylston Street always brings back memories and nervous energy, even for those who weren’t injured. Brian Metzler, Outside Online, 11 Apr. 2023 Those are big political shoes to fill, and the race remains unpredictable, analysts said, with three or four parties closely jockeying near the top of polls in the homestretch. Claire Moses, New York Times, 21 Nov. 2023 Even in the homestretch of the General Assembly races, Youngkin hosted a two-day retreat for national GOP megadonors at a luxury Virginia Beach resort on Oct. 16 and 17. Laura Vozzella, Washington Post, 2 Nov. 2023 The last one was in 2019 when Mongolian Groom broke down at the top of the homestretch at Santa Anita. John Cherwa, Los Angeles Times, 1 Nov. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'homestretch.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1841, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of homestretch was in 1841

Dictionary Entries Near homestretch

Cite this Entry

“Homestretch.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/homestretch. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

homestretch

noun
home·​stretch ˈhōm-ˈstrech How to pronounce homestretch (audio)
1
: the part of a racetrack between the final turn and the finish line
2
: a final stage

More from Merriam-Webster on homestretch

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!