garbage time
noun
US, sports
: the final moments or minutes of a game in which one side has an insurmountable lead, substitutes often enter the game in place of starting players, and scoring is typically easier because of looser defensive play
… the forgotten foursome of Greg Kite, Fred Roberts, Sam Vicent and Conner Henry will be on call in case of extreme emergency and those meaningless minutes appropriately referred to as garbage time.—
Gerry Finn
Gerry FinnOne touchdown was all the Broncos' D allowed, and that came in garbage time.—Paul Zimmerman
Paul ZimmermanExamples of garbage time in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
A lot of garbage time, to be honest with you.
—Miami Herald, 31 Oct. 2025
Jennings, who came to the Patriots as an undrafted free agent out of Florida A&M last year, has seven carries for 33 yards, all in garbage time, this season.
—Doug Kyed, Boston Herald, 29 Oct. 2025
Pat Spencer became the 13th player to get in the game once the outcome was no longer in question and provided one of its more memorable moments, going 1-on-1 against his brother, Cam, on one of the Warriors’ final possessions of garbage time.
—Evan Webeck, Mercury News, 28 Oct. 2025
Joseph's defense pulled off a tour de force, too, in holding the Cowboys to just two second-half touchdowns (one in garbage time) without Surtain.
—Luca Evans, Denver Post, 26 Oct. 2025
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Miami Herald, 31 Oct. 2025
Jennings, who came to the Patriots as an undrafted free agent out of Florida A&M last year, has seven carries for 33 yards, all in garbage time, this season.
—Doug Kyed, Boston Herald, 29 Oct. 2025
Pat Spencer became the 13th player to get in the game once the outcome was no longer in question and provided one of its more memorable moments, going 1-on-1 against his brother, Cam, on one of the Warriors’ final possessions of garbage time.
—Evan Webeck, Mercury News, 28 Oct. 2025
Joseph's defense pulled off a tour de force, too, in holding the Cowboys to just two second-half touchdowns (one in garbage time) without Surtain.
—Luca Evans, Denver Post, 26 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for garbage time
Cite this Entry
“Garbage time.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/garbage%20time. Accessed 9 Nov. 2025.
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