a race against time
idiomatic phrase
variants
or a race against the clock
: a situation in which something must happen or be done quickly because little time is available
Divers pulling the 12 boys and their soccer coach from the cave were in a race against time, with the threat of rains making an already difficult rescue even more urgent.—
Richard C. Paddock and Muktita Suhartono
Richard C. Paddock and Muktita Suhartono… as everyone argued back and forth about whether to enter arbitration …, the issue of time came up. For some in the group, this was a race against the clock due to their illnesses and the need for medical treatment.—Steven Allen Bruce
Steven Allen BruceExamples of a race against time in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
In a race against time, Melissa must figure out if an innocent man is going to die for a crime her father really committed.
—Abigail Lee, Variety, 5 Mar. 2025
The drama will be told from the vantage of lone survivor Anna Conrad, and the heroic first responders who risked their lives in a grueling search and rescue effort and a race against time.
—Mike Fleming Jr, Deadline, 4 Mar. 2025
What should have been a routine job turned into a race against time, technology and human endurance.
—Dan Perry, Newsweek, 28 Feb. 2025
For those living under Israel’s attacks and a crippling blockade, every day is a race against time.
April 23, 2024By Vivian Yee and Bilal Shbair
460 Years Ago, Shakespeare Was Born Here.
—Mujib Mashal Bilal Shbair Elizabeth Winkler Paul Krugman, New York Times, 25 Apr. 2024
See All Example Sentences for a race against time
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Abigail Lee, Variety, 5 Mar. 2025
The drama will be told from the vantage of lone survivor Anna Conrad, and the heroic first responders who risked their lives in a grueling search and rescue effort and a race against time.
—Mike Fleming Jr, Deadline, 4 Mar. 2025
What should have been a routine job turned into a race against time, technology and human endurance.
—Dan Perry, Newsweek, 28 Feb. 2025
For those living under Israel’s attacks and a crippling blockade, every day is a race against time.
April 23, 2024By Vivian Yee and Bilal Shbair
460 Years Ago, Shakespeare Was Born Here.
—Mujib Mashal Bilal Shbair Elizabeth Winkler Paul Krugman, New York Times, 25 Apr. 2024
See All Example Sentences for a race against time
Cite this Entry
“A race against time.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/a%20race%20against%20time. Accessed 3 Apr. 2025.
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