as in crisis
a time or state of affairs requiring prompt or decisive action
with only three minutes left in the game, it was definitely crunch time
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Recent Examples of crunch time
But with the game on the line in crunch time, Anunoby forced a Cunningham mid-range miss, Bridges forced a Cunningham turnover on a drive to the rim, then Anunoby forced another mid-range miss on the game’s final possession.
—
Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 27 Apr. 2025
Senate Republicans are facing crunch time on a long-overdue budget resolution, which has divided their conference over the possibility of cutting Medicaid and adding language to increase the debt ceiling by as much as $5 trillion.
—Alexander Bolton, The Hill, 1 Apr. 2025
Instead, Washington picked up two wins in crunch time thanks to the league’s leading scorer, Brittney Sykes.
—Sabreena Merchant, New York Times, 19 May 2025
The Minutemen, who lost a 3-2 thriller to Wayland in the opener, continued to show their improvement in crunch time by taking the next two points on a kill and block from Manuelian.
—Tom Mulherin, Boston Herald, 12 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for crunch time
Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 27 Apr. 2025
Senate Republicans are facing crunch time on a long-overdue budget resolution, which has divided their conference over the possibility of cutting Medicaid and adding language to increase the debt ceiling by as much as $5 trillion.
—Alexander Bolton, The Hill, 1 Apr. 2025
Instead, Washington picked up two wins in crunch time thanks to the league’s leading scorer, Brittney Sykes.
—Sabreena Merchant, New York Times, 19 May 2025
The Minutemen, who lost a 3-2 thriller to Wayland in the opener, continued to show their improvement in crunch time by taking the next two points on a kill and block from Manuelian.
—Tom Mulherin, Boston Herald, 12 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for crunch time
Recent Examples of Synonyms for crunch time
Noun
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Prioritize essential work and key customers, yet be realistic in terms of the crisis.—
Eyal Shamir,
Forbes.com,
6 Aug. 2025
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Due to go into effect on Aug. 7, the new tariff has thrown the trade into crisis mode, especially in light of the other market forces complicating the industry.—
Victoria Gomelsky,
Robb Report,
6 Aug. 2025
Noun
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There's always one shot that leaves a golfer shaking his or her head.—
Mike Hutton,
Post-Tribune,
19 July 2017
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Now, Maineri heads into year 12 with 18 pitchers on his roster, hoping that rising junior Caleb Gilbert and sophomore-to-be Zach Hess will emerge at the top of the pitching rotation.—
John Roach,
NOLA.com,
19 July 2017
Noun
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For most, sabbaticals emerge from personal or professional breaking points.—
Aparna Rae,
Forbes.com,
30 July 2025
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Today, the term has evolved to mean reaching a breaking point due to excessive stress or emotional overwhelm.56 Many things can trigger crashing out, depending on the person.—
Angelica Bottaro,
Verywell Health,
20 July 2025
Noun
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Texas House Democrats, including representatives from Tarrant County, are leaving the state to make a quorum impossible as a mid-decade redistricting push reaches a boiling point in the state Legislature.—
Eleanor Dearman
Updated August 3,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
4 Aug. 2025
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The water in the park's hot springs often reaches the boiling point, so swimming in them is prohibited to protect visitors as well as the park’s thermal environments, according to NPS.—
Melina Khan,
USA Today,
16 July 2025
Noun
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And there are many potential flash points in Asia, including in the Korean Peninsula, the Taiwan Strait, and the South China Sea.—
Yuen Foong Khong,
Foreign Affairs,
24 June 2025
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These minerals, key to electronic components and batteries, have become a new flash point in trade relations.—
Brit Morse,
Fortune,
9 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Crunch time.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crunch%20time. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025.
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