as in crisis
a time or state of affairs requiring prompt or decisive action
with only three minutes left in the game, it was definitely crunch time
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of crunch time
Financial firms and accountants experience crunch time in the lead-up to Tax Day.
—
Don Yaeger, Forbes, 18 Mar. 2025
Then, in crunch time, Daignaeult figured out how to attack coach Joe Mazzulla’s gamble to put Payton Pritchard on Gilgeous-Alexander, drawing a double team that gave Cason Wallace room to put the game to bed.
—Jay King, The Athletic, 13 Mar. 2025
The win marked the Knicks’ 10th consecutive victory in a game that reached crunch time — defined as the final five minutes of a game within five points.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 2 Mar. 2025
The best teams—and the best leaders—do more than show up in crunch time.
—Don Yaeger, Forbes, 18 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for crunch time
Don Yaeger, Forbes, 18 Mar. 2025
Then, in crunch time, Daignaeult figured out how to attack coach Joe Mazzulla’s gamble to put Payton Pritchard on Gilgeous-Alexander, drawing a double team that gave Cason Wallace room to put the game to bed.
—Jay King, The Athletic, 13 Mar. 2025
The win marked the Knicks’ 10th consecutive victory in a game that reached crunch time — defined as the final five minutes of a game within five points.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 2 Mar. 2025
The best teams—and the best leaders—do more than show up in crunch time.
—Don Yaeger, Forbes, 18 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for crunch time
Recent Examples of Synonyms for crunch time
Noun
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That’s a stark contrast to Ange Postecoglou’s high-intensity pressing style at Tottenham Hotspur, which is often cited as one of the reasons behind Spurs’ injury crisis and subsequent poor form this season.—
Steve Price,
Forbes.com,
8 Apr. 2025
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Their routines, quiet and mundane, signal a growing — and largely invisible — crisis that threatens New York City’s future.—
Jonah Markowitz,
New York Times,
8 Apr. 2025
Noun
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There's always one shot that leaves a golfer shaking his or her head.—
Mike Hutton,
Post-Tribune,
19 July 2017
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Delimitros said one of the truck’s side view mirrors struck her in the head, causing minor injuries.—
David Hernandez,
sandiegouniontribune.com,
19 July 2017
Noun
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But the climax on a boat in the Baltic Sea, featuring Michael Stuhlbarg as an uncommonly contemplative Russian mercenary, stretches credibility to the breaking point.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
8 Apr. 2025
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The tension reaches a breaking point when Sara begins to suspect that Sebas, not Félix, may be responsible for the recent murders.—
Emiliano De Pablos,
Variety,
25 Mar. 2025
Noun
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On the March 31st episode of Raw, the animosity between Cena and Rhodes reached a boiling point during a fiery promo battle.—
John W. Dean,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 Apr. 2025
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April 4, 2025 12:43 PM PT In the early 1980s, at the peak of the punk rock scene in Fullerton, the interest and demand for punk in Orange County reached a boiling point during one particular TSOL show at Fullerton College.—
Stephanie Mendez,
Los Angeles Times,
4 Apr. 2025
Noun
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As Trump, in collaboration with Elon Musk, has embarked on efforts to decimate the federal government, public political gatherings—in particular, appearances by Republicans in their home districts—have become flash points for an angry citizenry.—
Emily Witt,
The New Yorker,
25 Mar. 2025
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Maritime flash points Besides Taiwan, the U.S. and China remain fundamentally at odds over the South China Sea, which Beijing claims almost entirely as its own despite an opposing 2016 international court ruling.—
Brad Dress,
The Hill,
7 Jan. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Crunch time.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crunch%20time. Accessed 15 Apr. 2025.
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