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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Operational crises, such as an aircraft going AOG (aircraft on ground), serve to expose the fragility of these systems when they are left adrift without the kind of structured or properly governed data that is necessary.—
William Jones,
Miami Herald,
24 Feb. 2026 -
While there have been numerous attempts to end hostilities in Sudan, the fighting rages on, creating one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world, including the first declaration of famine anywhere in years.—
Jeronimo Gonzalez,
semafor.com,
24 Feb. 2026
Noun
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As fireworks prepare to mark the nation's 250th anniversary this July, Georgia once again sits at the crossroads of national politics — a state where presidential rhetoric meets lived reality.—
Zachary Bynum,
CBS News,
25 Feb. 2026
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These bills often put the GOP at a crossroads by forcing members to go on record on politically inconvenient topics.—
Rachel Schilke,
The Washington Examiner,
24 Feb. 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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Fight, girls, and hold your heads high.—
Lauren Huff,
Entertainment Weekly,
21 Feb. 2026
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Since debuting in 2019, Hernandez has compiled a 9-2 record in the octagon and heads into this bout riding an eight-fight winning streak.—
Marley Malenfant,
Austin American Statesman,
21 Feb. 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 27 Feb. 2026.
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