timing

noun

tim·​ing ˈtī-miŋ 

1

a

: placement or occurrence in time

the timing of the sale couldn't have been better

b

: the ability to select the precise moment for doing something for optimum effect

a boxer with impeccable timing

2

: observation and recording (as by a stopwatch) of the elapsed time of an act, action, or process

Examples of timing in a Sentence

The timing of the sale could not have been better.

Her timing was a little off and she missed the shot.

an athlete with impeccable timing

Recent Examples on the Web

No information on timing was provided but Mark Marshall, Chairman of Global Advertising and Partnerships at NBCU, recently told Deadline that the milestone will be celebrated in the fall. —Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 12 May 2025

Dort is too strong, too quick for screens to mitigate his impact (very few players can bounce off Jokić’s body like that and still have their footing), and his timing is impeccable. —Kelly Iko, New York Times, 12 May 2025

The timing makes sense, given that Lewis over the intervening years has become something of an older-sister figure for a subsequent generation or two of smart young musicians writing about all the ways the world can disappoint a woman in her 20s. —Mikael Wood, Los Angeles Times, 11 May 2025

At the end, three little words appeared, deceptively gentle, expertly lethal in their timing: Call your mom. —Rebecca Soffer, Time, 10 May 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1647, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing timing

• timing belt
• timing chain

Rhymes for timing

• chiming
• climbing
• liming
• priming
• rhyming

Kids Definition

timing

noun

tim·​ing

ˈtī-miŋ

1

: selection for best effect of the exact moment for beginning or doing something

2

: observation and recording (as by a stopwatch) of the time taken by something