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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Recent Examples of crunch time
In crunch time, a boda boda or tuk-tuk can be the quickest means of dashing between venues in Lagos, Nairobi, Kampala, or Kigali.
—
Alexander Onukwue, semafor.com, 25 Feb. 2026
But the story accelerates in 2021, in crunch time for prospective World Cup cities, as FIFA officials toured 23 of them before picking 16.
—Henry Bushnell, New York Times, 19 Feb. 2026
Over the last seven years or so, no duo in The Association has closed out tight games the way Joker and Murray could in crunch time.
—Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 11 Feb. 2026
That means getting stops at crunch time.
—Cedric Golden, Austin American Statesman, 30 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for crunch time
Alexander Onukwue, semafor.com, 25 Feb. 2026
But the story accelerates in 2021, in crunch time for prospective World Cup cities, as FIFA officials toured 23 of them before picking 16.
—Henry Bushnell, New York Times, 19 Feb. 2026
Over the last seven years or so, no duo in The Association has closed out tight games the way Joker and Murray could in crunch time.
—Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 11 Feb. 2026
That means getting stops at crunch time.
—Cedric Golden, Austin American Statesman, 30 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for crunch time
Recent Examples of Synonyms for crunch time
Noun
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The move aggravated the country's existing energy crises and triggered widespread fuel shortages.—
Joe Walsh,
CBS News,
18 Mar. 2026
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At some point the bank account will be empty, and we'll be left with a crisis in which there isn't enough to go around.—
Dana Taylor,
USA Today,
18 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The series of attacks comes after Israel killed Larijani, the head of the country’s Supreme National Security Council, and Gholamreza Soleimani, the leader of a powerful militia aligned with the IRGC, in deadly airstrikes on Tuesday.—
Anniek Bao,
CNBC,
18 Mar. 2026
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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,
18 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Separate research has shown that half of workers are at breaking point right now.—
Orianna Rosa Royle,
Fortune,
13 Mar. 2026
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For English club teams and the national side, there is a sense that players are at breaking point.—
Tim Spiers,
New York Times,
12 Mar. 2026
Noun
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And despite being the first team in NFL history to lose seven straight games then win seven in a row, the tensions in the locker room would reach a boiling point after the Dolphins’ 34-3 loss to the Tennessee Titans that effectively eliminated them from the playoffs.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
9 Mar. 2026
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Newsom’s frustration reached a boiling point over claims about the state’s response to the Los Angeles wildfires last year.—
Taryn Luna,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Artificial intelligence — which has been a flash point among creatives in Hollywood — has also been a talking point among the academy and its members.—
Rebecca Keegan,
NBC news,
11 Mar. 2026
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Another blow in a broader battle The Kansas law is a flash point in the ongoing battle across the country for legal recognition of trans and nonbinary people’s existence.—
Noelle Martin,
The Conversation,
1 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Crunch time.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crunch%20time. Accessed 20 Mar. 2026.
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