crunch time
noun
: a critical moment or period (as near the end of a game) when decisive action is needed
Examples of crunch time in a Sentence
The team had trained well, but at crunch time they just couldn't perform.
with only three minutes left in the game, it was definitely crunch time
Recent Examples on the Web
Friday night, at crunch time, Kel’el Ware mattered.
—
Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 7 Mar. 2026
James broke Abdul-Jabbar’s record for the most career field goals in the regular season against the Denver Nuggets, but an elbow injury limited his contributions in crunch time of a 120-113 loss that ended the Lakers’ three-game winning streak.
—Broderick Turner, Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2026
Around June of 2025, the team behind Pixar's Hoppers was in the thick of crunch time.
—Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 4 Mar. 2026
Ellis came up with some big plays during crunch time Tuesday.
—Jeff Vorva, Chicago Tribune, 4 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for crunch time
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Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 7 Mar. 2026
James broke Abdul-Jabbar’s record for the most career field goals in the regular season against the Denver Nuggets, but an elbow injury limited his contributions in crunch time of a 120-113 loss that ended the Lakers’ three-game winning streak.
—Broderick Turner, Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2026
Around June of 2025, the team behind Pixar's Hoppers was in the thick of crunch time.
—Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 4 Mar. 2026
Ellis came up with some big plays during crunch time Tuesday.
—Jeff Vorva, Chicago Tribune, 4 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for crunch time
Cite this Entry
“Crunch time.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/crunch%20time. Accessed 10 Mar. 2026.
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