go down to the wire

go down to the wire

To be unresolved or have an outcome that is in question until the last possible moment. Negotiations went down to the wire, but we did in fact agree on a new contract by the deadline. I expect this game to go down to the wire, with the winner being whoever has the ball last.See also: down, go, wire

go, come, etc. (right) down to the ˈwire

(informal) if you say that a situation goes down to the wire, you mean that the result will not be decided or known until the very end: Most people are predicting a very close game, quite possibly going right down to the wire.In this idiom, the wire refers to the finishing line in races.See also: down, wire