as in crises
a time or state of affairs requiring prompt or decisive action
with only three minutes left in the game, it was definitely crunch time
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for crunch times
Noun
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But so does an institutional tendency to respond to crises rather than implement reforms to completion.—
Walter Pavlo,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026 -
By the Sixties and Seventies, avant-garde disciples of Cowell had embraced graphic notation to compose work that responded to crises both global and domestic.—
Olivia Giovetti,
Harpers Magazine,
27 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Turned to music, his body emerges from the ditch and now the dust is beautiful, a labyrinth of intersecting crossroads.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Jan. 2026
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This crossroads of the world is set to become a crossroads for design-conscious travelers, too.—
Anna Grace Lee,
Vogue,
27 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The intense temperature and pressure of the impact heated the moon's crust and mantle so much that many of the volatile elements present (volatiles are elements with low boiling points), including potassium, evaporated and escaped into space.—
Keith Cooper,
Space.com,
23 Jan. 2026
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Thermodynamics drives selective recovery The researchers hypothesized that FJH combined with chlorine gas could exploit differences in Gibbs free energy and boiling points to selectively remove non-REE elements from magnet waste.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
29 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Policymakers expect other flash points.—
Alan Greenblatt,
CBS News,
12 Jan. 2026
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And a handful of standout horror films from around the ’70s, Johnson argues, specifically mirrored and even accelerated feminist flash points at a moment when public opinion regarding the roles and rights of women was wildly in flux.—
Sophie Gilbert,
The Atlantic,
30 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Football heads on social media couldn’t help but notice the name, Karene Reid, on the Denver roster ahead of Sunday’s AFC title game between the Patriots and Broncos.—
Lance Reynolds,
Boston Herald,
25 Jan. 2026
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But so was the team's coach and that's why the decision revealed on Thursday had parents scratching their heads.—
John Ramos,
CBS News,
25 Jan. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Crunch times.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crunch%20times. Accessed 29 Jan. 2026.
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