early/late in the game

phrase

: 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

The Nationals made up some ground late in the game, scoring two runs against Dodgers reliever Edgardo Henriquez. — Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 3 Apr. 2026

Teams are already treating challenges like a limited resource, often saving them for the most important moments late in the game. — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 28 Mar. 2026

Pope led Texas with 17 points in its upset win over Gonzaga Saturday in a second-round matchup but injured his ankle late in the game. — Thomas Jones, Austin American Statesman, 26 Mar. 2026

The Stars also didn’t score on a four-minute power play Saturday in Minnesota late in the game. — Lia Assimakopoulos, Dallas Morning News, 22 Mar. 2026