eleventh hour

noun

: the latest possible time before it is too late
still making changes at the eleventh hour

Examples of eleventh hour in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
At the eleventh hour the seller refused to sign any warranties. Lien De Pau, Forbes.com, 31 Aug. 2025 Without patent rights, an innovator could spend years developing a novel technology only to have a competitor swoop in and steal their invention at the eleventh hour. Kenneth Braithwaite, Fortune, 29 Aug. 2025 As California prepared to become the first state to ban several food additives in 2023, titanium dioxide was removed from the legislation at the eleventh hour amid vocal opposition from food companies. Nicholas Florko, The Atlantic, 8 Aug. 2025 Attempts to win council support for a smaller hike went nowhere as well, and Johnson and aldermen patched together a budget at the eleventh hour with a hodgepodge of fee increases, business taxes and fines. The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 28 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for eleventh hour

Word History

First Known Use

1821, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of eleventh hour was in 1821

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Cite this Entry

“Eleventh hour.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/eleventh%20hour. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.

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