in the nick of time
idiom
informal
: just before the last moment when something can be changed or something bad will happen
He decided to go just in the nick of time.
The ambulance arrived in the nick of time.
Examples of in the nick of time in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Creepy paranormal creatures try to hurt the main characters, but the heroes always get away in the nick of time.
—
Common Sense Media, Washington Post, 27 Oct. 2023
Mini-refresh for the Model Y in China Their arrival comes just in the nick of time, too.
—Bychristiaan Hetzner, Fortune, 2 Oct. 2023
Or, does Walker Buehler arrive in the nick of time?
—Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 5 Sep. 2023
Jared focused on getting his mom better and to the wedding, which was achieved in the nick of time, while Emily finished the planning, designing, and styling for the big day.
—Alexandra MacOn, Vogue, 14 Aug. 2023
Rescued just in the nick of time, he was taken to the caring hands of the Arizona Humane Society trauma hospital’s veterinarian staff, who worked tirelessly to nurse him back to health.
—The Republic, The Arizona Republic, 11 Aug. 2023
The man pulls his leg away just in the nick of time, but Elvis is persistent and climbs onto land, chomping after Chad until a fellow worker intervenes and steps between the two, placing a hand on the gator’s snout.
—Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA TODAY, 1 Aug. 2023
Down after the first set and struggling simply to avoid embarrassment, Alcaraz rediscovered his unique combination of speed, power and touch and figured out the subtleties of grass-court tennis in the nick of time.
—Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 16 July 2023
The actor was able to correct her error in the nick of time though, thereby avoiding certain disaster and a collision with Jackson – a.k.a.
—Dan Heching, CNN, 24 June 2023
See More
Common Sense Media, Washington Post, 27 Oct. 2023
Mini-refresh for the Model Y in China Their arrival comes just in the nick of time, too.
—Bychristiaan Hetzner, Fortune, 2 Oct. 2023
Or, does Walker Buehler arrive in the nick of time?
—Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 5 Sep. 2023
Jared focused on getting his mom better and to the wedding, which was achieved in the nick of time, while Emily finished the planning, designing, and styling for the big day.
—Alexandra MacOn, Vogue, 14 Aug. 2023
Rescued just in the nick of time, he was taken to the caring hands of the Arizona Humane Society trauma hospital’s veterinarian staff, who worked tirelessly to nurse him back to health.
—The Republic, The Arizona Republic, 11 Aug. 2023
The man pulls his leg away just in the nick of time, but Elvis is persistent and climbs onto land, chomping after Chad until a fellow worker intervenes and steps between the two, placing a hand on the gator’s snout.
—Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA TODAY, 1 Aug. 2023
Down after the first set and struggling simply to avoid embarrassment, Alcaraz rediscovered his unique combination of speed, power and touch and figured out the subtleties of grass-court tennis in the nick of time.
—Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 16 July 2023
The actor was able to correct her error in the nick of time though, thereby avoiding certain disaster and a collision with Jackson – a.k.a.
—Dan Heching, CNN, 24 June 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'in the nick of time.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near in the nick of time
Cite this Entry
“In the nick of time.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/in%20the%20nick%20of%20time. Accessed 3 Dec. 2023.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share