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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of crunch time
When the Indiana Fever fell to the Golden State Valkyries on Thursday night, Clark had two awful turnovers in crunch time, and led her team in that category with five, while simultaneously leading the team in scoring.
—
Jon Root Outkick, FOXNews.com, 30 May 2026
That didn’t happen in crunch time, though, thanks to Hartenstein, who was masterful battling Wembanyama in the trenches.
—Jared Weiss, New York Times, 21 May 2026
In crunch times, our duties overlap.
—Jeanne Phillips, Mercury News, 18 Apr. 2026
The distinction, as Green told The Athletic earlier this week, involves which guys stand up at crunch time – the postseason, of course, being the crunchiest of crunch time – and which guys don’t.
—Jim Alexander, Oc Register, 16 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for crunch time
Jon Root Outkick, FOXNews.com, 30 May 2026
That didn’t happen in crunch time, though, thanks to Hartenstein, who was masterful battling Wembanyama in the trenches.
—Jared Weiss, New York Times, 21 May 2026
In crunch times, our duties overlap.
—Jeanne Phillips, Mercury News, 18 Apr. 2026
The distinction, as Green told The Athletic earlier this week, involves which guys stand up at crunch time – the postseason, of course, being the crunchiest of crunch time – and which guys don’t.
—Jim Alexander, Oc Register, 16 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for crunch time
Recent Examples of Synonyms for crunch time
Noun
-
Alas, as the current crisis confirms, such mere facts do not persuade those leading the anti-vaccine crusade that threatens both existing protections and the hope of creating new ones.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
11 June 2026
-
Haiti is one of the world’s poorest countries, in the grip of a political and humanitarian crisis.—
Oliver Kay,
New York Times,
11 June 2026
Noun
-
Be sure to cover your head and neck with your arms, and crawl under a sturdy table if possible.—
CA Earthquake Bot,
Sacbee.com,
17 June 2026
-
He was left unconscious, suffering a head injury that remained bleeding days later.—
Joan Murray,
CBS News,
17 June 2026
Noun
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Running from the Rocky Mountains in Colorado to Mexico’s Gulf of California, the Colorado River is being pushed to the breaking point by years of drought and overuse.—
The Week US,
TheWeek,
8 June 2026
-
Hugh Jackman has reportedly reached his breaking point with the ongoing drama surrounding his split from ex-wife Deborra-Lee Furness.—
Allison DeGrushe,
StyleCaster,
1 June 2026
Noun
-
While the water is technically heated to near-boiling temperatures to brew coffee and tea, that’s not always enough to guarantee safety, especially when altitude changes the boiling point.—
Alesandra Dubin,
Southern Living,
7 June 2026
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The market for kids’ vintage clothing has heated up precipitously over the last few years, perhaps hitting a boiling point in January when an Eeyore romper from the ’90s sold for over $3,000 on EBay.—
Marah Eakin,
Los Angeles Times,
3 June 2026
Noun
-
Death is often a flash point for communal anger.—
Gabrielle Emanuel,
NPR,
29 May 2026
-
That’s a huge flash point in American society, far beyond this play.—
Chris Jones,
Chicago Tribune,
26 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Crunch time.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crunch%20time. Accessed 17 Jun. 2026.
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