time frame
noun
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time frame or timeframe?
Should time frame be written as one word or two? At present, it is most commonly styled as two words with no hyphen in between.
Compounds, or “words consisting of components that are words,” come in three varieties: open (two words with a space between them, such as lima bean), hyphenated (two words with a hyphen between them, such as runner-up), and closed (one word, such as rowboat). In some cases, competing compound stylings appear in different publications. This is generally acceptable as long as the spelling remains consistent throughout a book or periodical.
Compounds have a tendency to move from open to closed as time goes by, and our evidence suggests that time frame is headed in this direction. At this point, however, the open compound is far more prevalent.
Examples of time frame in a Sentence
Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 21 Apr. 2025
President Trump’s approval rating in the first quarter of his second term is 45 percent — an increase from the same time frame of his first term, according to a recent Gallup survey.
—Ashleigh Fields, The Hill, 18 Apr. 2025
Employees discarded 15 gallons of pho broth because the food had not been cooled to safe temperatures within the proper time frame.
—Camila Pedrosa, Sacbee.com, 18 Apr. 2025
The time frame could give SpaceX an advantage because of its fleet of rockets, including the Falcon 9, and existing satellites that could be repurposed for the missile defense shield, the people familiar with the plan said.
—Mike Stone and Marisa Taylor, USA Today, 18 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for time frame
Cite this Entry
“Time frame.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/time%20frame. Accessed 30 Apr. 2025.
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