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 today’s rapidly evolving geopolitical landscape, the United States finds itself in a race against time.
—Byhoracio Rozanski, Fortune, 10 June 2024
More:Ford to drastically scale back jobs, investment plans for Marshall EV battery plant
More:UAW's push to organize workers at nonunion carmakers is a race against time
Contact Dave Boucher: dboucher@freepress.com and on X, previously called Twitter, @Dave_Boucher1.
—Dave Boucher, Detroit Free Press, 10 Jan. 2024
Researchers appear to be in a race against time to more effectively treat and prevent cancer as global populations age, ramping up the pressure on health care services.
—Byryan Hogg, Fortune Europe, 24 Apr. 2024
But the use of modern technology such as drones and high-resolution modeling is beginning to be more common—and will need to be, the authors write, in a race against time.
—Christian Thorsberg, Smithsonian Magazine, 15 Apr. 2024
Werfel has been in a race against time to show how improvements to the agency can benefit taxpayers.
—Fatima Hussein, Fortune, 20 Mar. 2024
Last year also happened to be the hottest year on record
Deploying clean energy really is a race against time.
—Justine Calma, The Verge, 1 Mar. 2024
The popular YouTube comedy duo Smosh accidentally alter a viral video, leading to a race against time to undo the damage and save their channel.
—Adam Wescott, Forbes, 21 Feb. 2024
Milicevic’s case presented a unique challenge and a race against time.
—Melissa Karns, USA TODAY, 4 Jan. 2024
Byhoracio Rozanski, Fortune, 10 June 2024
More:Ford to drastically scale back jobs, investment plans for Marshall EV battery plant
More:UAW's push to organize workers at nonunion carmakers is a race against time
Contact Dave Boucher: dboucher@freepress.com and on X, previously called Twitter, @Dave_Boucher1.
—Dave Boucher, Detroit Free Press, 10 Jan. 2024
Researchers appear to be in a race against time to more effectively treat and prevent cancer as global populations age, ramping up the pressure on health care services.
—Byryan Hogg, Fortune Europe, 24 Apr. 2024
But the use of modern technology such as drones and high-resolution modeling is beginning to be more common—and will need to be, the authors write, in a race against time.
—Christian Thorsberg, Smithsonian Magazine, 15 Apr. 2024
Werfel has been in a race against time to show how improvements to the agency can benefit taxpayers.
—Fatima Hussein, Fortune, 20 Mar. 2024
Last year also happened to be the hottest year on record
Deploying clean energy really is a race against time.
—Justine Calma, The Verge, 1 Mar. 2024
The popular YouTube comedy duo Smosh accidentally alter a viral video, leading to a race against time to undo the damage and save their channel.
—Adam Wescott, Forbes, 21 Feb. 2024
Milicevic’s case presented a unique challenge and a race against time.
—Melissa Karns, USA TODAY, 4 Jan. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'a race against time.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near 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 17 Jun. 2024.
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