homestretch

Meanings

1. 1nounsingularfigurative

   The last part of a race, journey, project or other long effort before it is finished.

   Grammar: Almost always used with the: the homestretch. Also written home stretch or home straight in British English.

   Patterns

   • in the homestretch
   • enter/hit the homestretch
   • the homestretch of something

   We are in the homestretch of the semester, with only two exams left.

   The campaign entered the homestretch with the two candidates tied.

   Keep going; you are in the homestretch now.

2. 2nounsingularsport

   The straight section of a racetrack between the last turn and the finish line.

   Grammar: Used with the in horse racing and running: the horses thundered down the homestretch.

   Patterns

   • down the homestretch
   • the final homestretch

   The favorite pulled ahead as the horses came down the homestretch.

   The crowd rose to its feet when the runners reached the homestretch.

   He found extra speed on the homestretch and won by a nose.

Word forms

Common combinations

in the homestretch

The team is in the homestretch of building the app.

hit the homestretch

We hit the homestretch around midnight and finished the report.

enter the homestretch

The election race entered the homestretch this week.

down the homestretch

The horses ran side by side down the homestretch.

final homestretch

The final homestretch of the hike was the steepest.

Synonyms and how they differ

final stage

Final stage is neutral and can describe any last phase, while homestretch adds a sense of effort and nearness to the end.

home straight

Home straight is the British version of the same idea and is more common than homestretch in the UK.

last leg

Last leg suggests the final part of a journey and often a tired one, while homestretch suggests the end is close.

endgame

Endgame implies the decisive final phase of a contest, with more strategy than the simple effort suggested by homestretch.

Opposites

Word family

home noun

the place where someone lives, also the finish in some races

stretch noun

a continuous length of time or space

backstretch noun

the straight section of a track opposite the homestretch

Commonly confused: homestretch or home straight?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “homestretch”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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