final stretch
Closing phase ahead
The final stretch is the last portion of a race, journey, or extended effort before completion.
The phrase comes from racing, where the stretch is the straight section of track before the finish line.
Extended to any prolonged undertaking: We're in the final stretch of the semester, The final stretch of the campaign proved exhausting.
- homestretchLast portion before completion
- last lapClosing circuit of race
- neck and neckExactly even in competition
- endgameConcluding phase of competition
- countdownBackward enumeration to zero
sprint · closing · culmination · climax · push · marathon · race · exhaustion · last legs · determination · grit · dig deep · second wind · crunch time · deadline · almost there · home run · victory
- competitioncompete, competitor, contender, winner, sports
- finishcomplete, conclude, end, wrap up, done
- Down to the Wirelast minute, nail-biter, close call, eleventh hour, crunch time
- finish line expressionsdown to the wire, crossing the line, neck and neck, dead heat, by a nose
- endingsending, the end, close, end, conclusion
- game periodsquarter, half, period, inning, set
final stretchbeginning
Initial stage of something
starting point · start · first leg · outset · starting line
final stretchearly days
Initial period of development
infancy · groundwork · buildup · square one · starting over
final, stretch, finals, finally, finality, finalize, finale, finish, finite