The idiom down to the wire means something is decided at the very last moment. The outcome is not clear until the very end.
The phrase comes from horse racing. A wire once marked the finish line, so a race decided at that point was still uncertain until the final instant.
The phrase comes from horse racing. A wire once marked the finish line, so a race decided at that point was still uncertain until the final instant.
The match went down to the wire, with the winner decided in the final seconds.