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
Relevance
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of crunch time
The Blue Devils were up 15 at half and cruising over UConn, but as crunch time came, the wheels started to fall off for the top team in the country.
—
Tyler Erzberger, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Mar. 2026
Vassell came up big in crunch time The sixth-year forward's jumper with four minutes left coming out of a timeout with the Spurs nursing a six-point league was perhaps the biggest bucket of the game.
—Tom Orsborn, San Antonio Express-News, 17 Mar. 2026
Friday night, at crunch time, Kel’el Ware mattered.
—Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 7 Mar. 2026
James broke Abdul-Jabbar’s record for the most career field goals in the regular season against the Denver Nuggets, but an elbow injury limited his contributions in crunch time of a 120-113 loss that ended the Lakers’ three-game winning streak.
—Broderick Turner, Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for crunch time
Tyler Erzberger, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Mar. 2026
Vassell came up big in crunch time The sixth-year forward's jumper with four minutes left coming out of a timeout with the Spurs nursing a six-point league was perhaps the biggest bucket of the game.
—Tom Orsborn, San Antonio Express-News, 17 Mar. 2026
Friday night, at crunch time, Kel’el Ware mattered.
—Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 7 Mar. 2026
James broke Abdul-Jabbar’s record for the most career field goals in the regular season against the Denver Nuggets, but an elbow injury limited his contributions in crunch time of a 120-113 loss that ended the Lakers’ three-game winning streak.
—Broderick Turner, Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for crunch time
Recent Examples of Synonyms for crunch time
Noun
-
In the meantime, the energy crisis continues, threatening summer holidays in Asia and Europe as the loss of jet fuel supplies from the Middle East ripples across those regions.—
Lim Hui Jie,
CNBC,
7 May 2026
-
But beneath the joy and abandon, the AIDS crisis casts an ever-deepening shadow.—
Andreas Wiseman,
Deadline,
6 May 2026
Noun
-
The reason, an official with knowledge of the meeting plans said, is because King Charles is a head of state, rather than a head of government.—
Kathryn Palmer,
USA Today,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Matt Small, who is in his first season as Lincoln-Way Central’s head coach, was an assistant at Homewood-Flossmoor.—
Jeff Vorva,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The Kansas City Royals might have reached their breaking point against the Yankees in New York on Saturday.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
18 Apr. 2026
-
The tension between engineering and finance reached a breaking point with the 737 MAX as the company tried to compete with Airbus.—
John Pacenti,
USA Today,
15 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Game 3’s 2-1 loss to Montreal turned out to be the boiling point between the Frost and Victoire.—
Theodore Tollefson,
Twin Cities,
8 May 2026
-
After spending more than two million dollars on VIP jet charter services, his frustrations with the industry reached a boiling point.—
Connie Etemadi,
USA Today,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Despite the focus on the Middle East, the leaders took up major regional flash points, including the South China Sea territorial disputes involving Beijing, a five-year civil war in Myanmar and a recent border conflict between Thailand and Cambodia.—
Jim Gomez,
Los Angeles Times,
8 May 2026
-
Sidewalks and paths were another flash point, with Council Member Chris Allgood pressing the developer to help fill gaps along Montana Avenue so students can safely walk between Gem State Adventist Academy and nearby public schools.—
Noah Daly
May 7,
Idaho Statesman,
7 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Crunch time.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crunch%20time. Accessed 10 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
