Homestretch

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The last segment or portion of a race or any ongoing task where completion is near
2. The concluding stretch in any competition or effort signaling that the end is approaching
3. The final phase toward finishing a race, project, or other prolonged undertaking

Etymology: "Homestretch" is simply the closed-up spelling of "home stretch," and the two parts are plain English. "Home" comes from Old English "hām," a place of residence, while "stretch" describes a continuous length of ground or track. In racing, the stretch is the straight run toward the finish line, and the home stretch is the final part of that straight, the last leg before the winning post. The sense then broadened beyond the racetrack, so that any final phase of a long effort, such as a project, a journey or a campaign, can be called the homestretch.

Synonyms: final stretch, last lap, conclusion