early/late in the game

idiom

: at an early/late time in a game or sport

She scored a goal early in the game.

—often used figuratively

It's too late in the game to change the date of the meeting.

She got into the computer industry early in the game.

Examples of early/late in the game in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Willis completed 4-of-5 passes for 56 yards, ran for 23 yards and hit Reed with a 51-yard completion late in the game to lift Green Bay to a 30-27 win. —Rob Reischel, Forbes.com, 2 July 2025

The Yankees reliever became frustrated when the 23-year-old didn’t run out a comebacker to the mound late in the game. —Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 29 June 2025

To me, Kelli flip-flopping on Brit this late in the game has a whiff of convenience, as if Kelli knew aligning herself with Brit amidst the Kenya controversy wasn’t a good look. —Ile-Ife Okantah, Vulture, 23 June 2025

Then federal agents arrived outside their parking lot As a result of the fracas, MLB announced that Padres manager Mike Shildt and pitcher Robert Suarez, along with Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, were all suspended for their roles in the scuffle between the two teams late in the game. —Jacob Lev, CNN Money, 20 June 2025