moment of truth

noun phrase

1

: the final sword thrust in a bullfight

2

: a moment of crisis on whose outcome much or everything depends

Examples of moment of truth in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The meeting signals a moment of truth for Reacher since Quinn/McCabe survived a shot in the head from the former MP investigator years before and has since been suffering from retrograde amnesia. —Tim Lammers, Forbes, 18 Mar. 2025

The disastrous meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and U.S. President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance at the White House on February 28 has led to a stark moment of truth for the Western alliance. —Wolfgang Ischinger, Foreign Affairs, 2 Mar. 2025

In marketing, this concept is known as moment of truth (MOT) planning, which involves identifying key moments when consumers, based on their mindset and behavior, are most likely to make a purchase decision. —Aleks Farseev, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2025

March 14th brings the full moon total lunar eclipse in Virgo (2:54 a.m. EST, 23° Virgo), a major moment of truth for our mental, physical, and spiritual well-being. —Dossé-Via Trenou, refinery29.com, 27 Feb. 2025

Venus will join forces with Saturn in Pisces — activating your 12th house of closure, dreams and unconscious patterns — bringing a moment of truth regarding your emotional landscape and hidden fears. —Valerie Mesa, People.com, 17 Jan. 2025

Sign up for the Morning Report newsletter In today’s issue: Johnson fights for his gavel FBI: New Orleans, Las Vegas deaths not linked Details behind Chinese Treasury Department hack New Syrian government begins diplomatic visits Today is Speaker Mike Johnson’s (R-La.) moment of truth. —Alexis Simendinger, The Hill, 3 Jan. 2025

In this upcoming moment of truth for Illinois, the speaker has the opportunity to give power to that rhetoric, which many on the GOP side don’t believe for a minute. —The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 10 Jan. 2025

Kenney, a long-time copywriter, has a gift for catching moments of truth in office settings. —John Baldoni, Forbes, 15 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1932, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for moment of truth

• bluetooth
• forsooth
• sawtooth
• tolbooth
• uncouth
• untruth
• vermouth
• luth
• muth
• sleuth
• sooth
• tooth