crunch time
noun
: a critical moment or period (as near the end of a game) when decisive action is needed
Synonyms
Examples of crunch time in a Sentence
The team had trained well, but at crunch time they just couldn't perform.
with only three minutes left in the game, it was definitely crunch time
Recent Examples on the Web
Let the season breathe more and understand that in crunch time — at the end of halves and games — Williams has been pretty good.
—
Brad Biggs, Chicago Tribune, 30 Oct. 2024
While both parties enter crunch time in what has been deemed by some to be one of the closest elections in the nation’s history, Musk has been becoming all the more of an oversized figure in the race.
—Chloe Berger, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2024
The advice comes as travelers are expected to spend more on holiday travel this year and as crunch time to book flights quickly approaches.
—Alison Fox, Travel + Leisure, 7 Oct. 2024
With less than a minute left in regulation and the Knicks up four, Brunson, who’d carved up the Sixer defense all afternoon, took out his sword and did it once more, knifing into the lane, this time inexplicably uncontested in crunch time for a floater at the rim.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 28 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for crunch time 
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.
Brad Biggs, Chicago Tribune, 30 Oct. 2024
While both parties enter crunch time in what has been deemed by some to be one of the closest elections in the nation’s history, Musk has been becoming all the more of an oversized figure in the race.
—Chloe Berger, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2024
The advice comes as travelers are expected to spend more on holiday travel this year and as crunch time to book flights quickly approaches.
—Alison Fox, Travel + Leisure, 7 Oct. 2024
With less than a minute left in regulation and the Knicks up four, Brunson, who’d carved up the Sixer defense all afternoon, took out his sword and did it once more, knifing into the lane, this time inexplicably uncontested in crunch time for a floater at the rim.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 28 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for crunch time
Dictionary Entries Near crunch time
Cite this Entry
“Crunch time.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/crunch%20time. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share