watch the clock
idiom
: to pay close attention to the passing of time on a clock
especially
: to pay close attention to the time remaining on the clock for a particular part of a game
Examples of watch the clock in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Blackstone employees don’t watch the clock, Ross noted.
—
Byluisa Beltran, Fortune, 21 Aug. 2023
Until then, fans will have to watch the clock on Rodrigo's website count down to the big release.
—Kate Perez, USA TODAY, 14 June 2023
People think—or thought, perhaps—that smart thermostats reduce consumption because they are supposed to do more than watch the clock and the mercury.
—Ian Bogost, The Atlantic, 26 Sep. 2022
Monitors would watch the clock, Olympic officials said.
—New York Times, 28 July 2021
The downside is that diners don’t watch the clock.
—Sarah Blaskovich, Dallas News, 27 Jan. 2021
Whatever broad rules and computations make those interactions (and others) possible may underlie our experience of time, but until they are pinpointed, scientists can only watch the clock — or clocks — in anticipation.
—Quanta Magazine, 24 Sep. 2020
Byluisa Beltran, Fortune, 21 Aug. 2023
Until then, fans will have to watch the clock on Rodrigo's website count down to the big release.
—Kate Perez, USA TODAY, 14 June 2023
People think—or thought, perhaps—that smart thermostats reduce consumption because they are supposed to do more than watch the clock and the mercury.
—Ian Bogost, The Atlantic, 26 Sep. 2022
Monitors would watch the clock, Olympic officials said.
—New York Times, 28 July 2021
The downside is that diners don’t watch the clock.
—Sarah Blaskovich, Dallas News, 27 Jan. 2021
Whatever broad rules and computations make those interactions (and others) possible may underlie our experience of time, but until they are pinpointed, scientists can only watch the clock — or clocks — in anticipation.
—Quanta Magazine, 24 Sep. 2020
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'watch the clock.' 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 watch the clock
Cite this Entry
“Watch the clock.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/watch%20the%20clock. Accessed 26 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share