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

… 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

Examples of a race against time in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

But as Max Hastings’ trial approaches, Connor’s brother Jamie suddenly disappears and Pip finds herself in a race against time to find him. —Denise Petski, Deadline, 14 July 2025

But Dumont’s motives are not just financial: Taylor is her estranged father and suffers from Lewy body dementia, which makes getting to the truth a race against time. —Paula L. Woods, Los Angeles Times, 16 June 2025

In a race against time, staff swiftly moved pets, ensuring each kennel was accurately tagged with identification. —Ana Gutierrez, Austin American Statesman, 8 July 2025

Faced with critical skepticism and mounting debts, The Bear is in a race against time to regain its momentum. —Alison Herman, Variety, 26 June 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1814, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for a race against time

• aforetime
• allozyme
• anytime
• christmastime
• cybercrime
• dinnertime
• guggenheim
• isozyme
• lysozyme
• maritime
• mesenchyme
• overtime