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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of crunch time
The defense held up its end of the bargain in crunch time, allowing Philadelphia only 86 yards of offense in the second half.
—
Rohan Nadkarni, NBC news, 5 Sep. 2025
Don’t Be Afraid To Take Risks Kobe wanted the ball in crunch time.
—True Tamplin, Forbes.com, 24 Aug. 2025
August is on pace to be the Yankees' worst month, and with two teams, the Cleveland Guardians and the Texas Rangers, within three games of the final spot, the Yankees are entering crunch time.
—Hunter Mulholland, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Aug. 2025
But a series of lousy draft picks and a lack of an attractive infrastructure — that imaginary permanent practice facility is being built any day now! — have kept them from acquiring the sort of superstars that carry teams in crunch time, the kind of difference-makers this town deserves.
—Bill Plaschke, Los Angeles Times, 30 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for crunch time
Rohan Nadkarni, NBC news, 5 Sep. 2025
Don’t Be Afraid To Take Risks Kobe wanted the ball in crunch time.
—True Tamplin, Forbes.com, 24 Aug. 2025
August is on pace to be the Yankees' worst month, and with two teams, the Cleveland Guardians and the Texas Rangers, within three games of the final spot, the Yankees are entering crunch time.
—Hunter Mulholland, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Aug. 2025
But a series of lousy draft picks and a lack of an attractive infrastructure — that imaginary permanent practice facility is being built any day now! — have kept them from acquiring the sort of superstars that carry teams in crunch time, the kind of difference-makers this town deserves.
—Bill Plaschke, Los Angeles Times, 30 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for crunch time
Recent Examples of Synonyms for crunch time
Noun
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Is this a particularly bad week, filled with normal crises at an abnormal pace, or is there some sort of grand conspiracy connecting each bizarre emergency?—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
24 Sep. 2025
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In the late 1830s, as a devastating financial crisis bankrupted antislavery societies across the North, the movement seemed splintered and powerless to keep up its petition pressure campaign.—
Time,
Time,
24 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Cooke’s granddaughter, Nicole Cooke-Johnson, saw the project as both deeply personal and part of her ongoing work as the head of his estate.—
Okla Jones,
Essence,
24 Sep. 2025
-
Intuition guided many of my decisions, often informed by clear references in my head from my own family history.—
Caterina De Biasio,
Vogue,
24 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Advertisement Advertisement Season 3 was the series’ most volatile yet, with every storyline pulled taut to the breaking point.—
JP Mangalindan,
Time,
12 Sep. 2025
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That line of questioning pushed the woman past her breaking point.—
Ashley Vega,
PEOPLE,
8 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Has this finally reached a boiling point?—
Cody Stavenhagen,
New York Times,
24 Sep. 2025
-
His administration’s relationship with the media has reached a boiling point.—
Ross O'Keefe,
The Washington Examiner,
13 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Sports is a flash point in the NBCU-YouTube talks, which are preceding a major carriage renewal with Disney ahead of a late-October deadline.—
Dade Hayes,
Deadline,
25 Sep. 2025
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Rhetoric about Taiwan, the most prominent flash point for Chinese sovereignty, is an example of the historical origins of the issue.—
David C. Kang,
Foreign Affairs,
19 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Crunch time.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crunch%20time. Accessed 29 Sep. 2025.
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