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
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
Trump’s trip to the Capitol underscores that the GOP is entering crunch time with the reconciliation package, which contains key pieces of Trump’s agenda on taxes, border funding and spending.
—Mychael Schnell, The Hill, 20 May 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for 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
Trump’s trip to the Capitol underscores that the GOP is entering crunch time with the reconciliation package, which contains key pieces of Trump’s agenda on taxes, border funding and spending.
—Mychael Schnell, The Hill, 20 May 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for crunch time
Recent Examples of Synonyms for crunch time
Noun
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Vietnam's crisis is not yet as severe as Singapore's or some of East Asia's lowest-fertility states, but the trend line is moving in the same direction.—
Micah McCartney,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Sep. 2025
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Today @FBIDirectorKash was in Cincinnati to announce charges in an operation targeting the fentanyl crisis.—
Washington Examiner Staff,
The Washington Examiner,
4 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Be sure to cover your head and neck with your arms, and crawl under a sturdy table if possible.—
CA Earthquake Bot,
Sacbee.com,
4 Sep. 2025
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Several of President Donald Trump‘s firings of independent agency heads have made their way through the Supreme Court‘s emergency docket, but Tuesday’s ruling in a federal appeals court likely moves the justices closer to overturning a 90-year precedent on the issue.—
Jack Birle,
The Washington Examiner,
4 Sep. 2025
Noun
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In episode five, that difficulty adjusting is evident and reaches a breaking point.—
Lexy Perez,
HollywoodReporter,
30 Aug. 2025
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By 2016, the backlash had reached a breaking point, and NBC quietly stopped producing the series, per KQED.—
Emily Blackwood,
People.com,
27 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Only, his side of the story suggests that this summer was the boiling point of a longer game, dating back to last summer when contract promises were reneged upon.—
Harry De Cosemo,
Forbes.com,
2 Sep. 2025
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That was the boiling point for the Cowboys.—
Nick Harris,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
29 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Abrego Garcia’s case became a flash point in Trump’s immigration crackdown after he was mistakenly deported to El Salvador in March. Venezuelans and immigrants from Afghanistan, Russia, Iran, China and other countries have also been sent to Costa Rica and Panama.—
Juan A. Lozano,
Chicago Tribune,
26 Aug. 2025
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The union will also be looking to address health and pension issues, a flash point ever since thousands of retirees were kicked off the health plan in 2020, as well as protections against artificial intelligence.—
Gene Maddaus,
Variety,
13 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Crunch time.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crunch%20time. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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