homestretch

noun

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

Synonyms of homestretch

Relevance
See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of homestretch in a Sentence

The horses are in the homestretch.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Spring has sprung, which means the 2025-26 TV season is in the homestretch. — Erik Pedersen, Deadline, 1 Apr. 2026 The Lafayette City Council is in the homestretch of overhauling the city’s zoning code, an effort that began last year. — John Aguilar, Denver Post, 19 Apr. 2026 As Glyph rounds into the homestretch the narrative broadens, a flash of transcendence for the soldier and horse, a ray of hope for Petra and Patch. — Literary Hub, 21 May 2026 Iron Honor, another prerace betting favorite, tried to challenge Napoleon Solo down the homestretch but couldn’t come within a length of the winner. — Andrew Greif, NBC news, 17 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for homestretch

Word History

First Known Use

1841, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of homestretch was in 1841

Rhymes for homestretch

See All Rhymes for homestretch

Browse Nearby Words

homester
homestretch
home study
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Homestretch.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/homestretch. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

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

Nglish: Translation of homestretch for Spanish Speakers

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!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All