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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Chai Lifeline provides social, emotional and practical assistance to children and their families who are impacted by loss, medical crises and trauma.—
Jessica Tzikas,
Sun Sentinel,
10 Mar. 2026 -
But experts have long said that relying on military forces rather than investing in local policing threatens to worsen already grave security crises.—
Jeronimo Gonzalez,
semafor.com,
9 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Saddique was the second grandfather to die at the intersection that year; Sau Voong, 84, was killed while biking at the same crossroads a few months earlier.—
Ariane Lange,
Sacbee.com,
11 Mar. 2026
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Rao, now the chief technology officer at Roost, a nonprofit dedicated to building AI safety infrastructure, believes humankind is at a crucial crossroads for building safeguards for AI.—
Allison Gordon,
CNN Money,
11 Mar. 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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But more potential flash points loom.—
JILL LAWLESS THE ASSOCIATED PRESS,
Arkansas Online,
5 Feb. 2026
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Policymakers expect other flash points.—
Alan Greenblatt,
CBS News,
12 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Video circulating on social media shows tense moments inside the cabin as passengers were instructed to put their heads down and raise their hands while armed officers entered the plane.—
Milena Malaver,
Miami Herald,
7 Mar. 2026
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Members of the mother’s group, Walker’s family and advocates, held hands and in unison bowed their heads to listen.—
Mariana Navarrete Villegas,
Hartford Courant,
7 Mar. 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 12 Mar. 2026.
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