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
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Recent Examples of crunch time
The games often followed a familiar script, with the Lakers hanging around until the Nuggets eventually distanced themselves — often in crunch time — through a mix of shotmaking, execution, size and chemistry.
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Jovan Buha, The Athletic, 24 Nov. 2024
Austin Reaves, one of the Lakers’ best shooters, missed two earlier in crunch time.
—Dan Woike, Los Angeles Times, 22 Nov. 2024
But with Nadal serving at 1-2 and facing three break points at 0-40, the Spaniard reverted once more to the guy who knows a bit about what to do at crunch time on this court.
—Matthew Futterman, The Athletic, 28 July 2024
Good vibes abound: 3 Yankees takeaways Tennessee and Vanderbilt baseball facing different questions in crunch time
10 Rangers road trip observations: Panarin line struggles in Game 4, special teams battle
Caitlin Clark for WNBA MVP?
—New York Times, 13 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for crunch time 
Jovan Buha, The Athletic, 24 Nov. 2024
Austin Reaves, one of the Lakers’ best shooters, missed two earlier in crunch time.
—Dan Woike, Los Angeles Times, 22 Nov. 2024
But with Nadal serving at 1-2 and facing three break points at 0-40, the Spaniard reverted once more to the guy who knows a bit about what to do at crunch time on this court.
—Matthew Futterman, The Athletic, 28 July 2024
Good vibes abound: 3 Yankees takeaways Tennessee and Vanderbilt baseball facing different questions in crunch time
10 Rangers road trip observations: Panarin line struggles in Game 4, special teams battle
Caitlin Clark for WNBA MVP?
—New York Times, 13 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for crunch time
Recent Examples of Synonyms for crunch time
Noun
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What could be more low stakes than tan, Orange County teens dating, shopping, and gossiping in the fat years before the subprime-mortgage crisis?Naomi Fry, The New Yorker, 27 Dec. 2024
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The long-lasting crisis revealed numerous gaps in a workforce under immense strain.Caitlin Rivers, WIRED, 27 Dec. 2024
Noun
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Now, Maineri heads into year 12 with 18 pitchers on his roster, hoping that rising junior Caleb Gilbert and sophomore-to-be Zach Hess will emerge at the top of the pitching rotation.John Roach, NOLA.com, 19 July 2017
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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
Noun
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Financial uncertainties, health anxieties and the pressures of remote work and childcare in cramped living spaces pushed many marriages to the breaking point.Ascend Agency, New York Daily News, 17 Dec. 2024
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Their relationship hit a breaking point at the end of episode 11, where Ramses and Marissa had a conversation about their future and Ramses' concerns about getting married again.Esther Kang, People.com, 25 Oct. 2024
Noun
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At the center of the trend were rappers Drake and Kendrick Lamar, whose longtime feud reached a boiling point this year.Angela Yang, NBC News, 21 Dec. 2024
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All of the pressure reached a boiling point in October 2023, when a pedestrian was hit by a vehicle and flung underneath a nearby Cruise vehicle.Mack DeGeurin, Popular Science, 11 Dec. 2024
Noun
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The case became a flash point in the nation’s debate over racial injustice and crime, as well as the city’s ongoing struggle to deal with homelessness and mental health crises in a transit system used by millions of New Yorkers every day.Philip Marcelo, Los Angeles Times, 7 Dec. 2024
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Today, however, Maduro remains in power, and a surge in Venezuelan immigrants has emerged as a flash point in the U.S. presidential election.Samantha Schmidt, Washington Post, 26 July 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near crunch time
Cite this Entry
“Crunch time.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crunch%20time. Accessed 30 Dec. 2024.
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