eleventh hour

noun

Definition of eleventh hournext
as in crisis
the latest possible time The killer's life was spared at the eleventh hour.

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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 eleventh hour Hayes knows, in soccer, anything can happen; an injury could sideline any team’s biggest star at the eleventh hour. — Tamerra Griffin, New York Times, 20 July 2026 And the dysfunction is already jeopardizing other pressing legislative business in the eleventh hour of the 119th Congress, including bipartisan priorities and crucial government funding bills relied on by many Americans. — Zachary Schermele, USA Today, 16 July 2026 Honda was planning on building its new Zero Series family of EVs in Ohio before pulling the plug on the program at the eleventh hour. — Joel Feder, The Drive, 24 June 2026 At the eleventh hour, country star Toby Keith, rock band 3 Doors Down, and perennial patriot Lee Greenwood all ultimately signed on. — Erin Vanderhoof, Vanity Fair, 29 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for eleventh hour
Recent Examples of Synonyms for eleventh hour
  1. crisis
  2. emergency
  3. extremity
  4. possibility
  5. climax
  6. situation
  7. zero hour
  8. landmark
Noun
  • Her first job as CEO in 2014 was to remake the century-old company’s corporate culture and regain customers’ trust following a tragic, reputation-wrecking ignition-switch crisis.
    — Alyson Shontell, Fortune, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Though largely peaceful, the protests have added to an already monthlong political crisis following a deadlock of over 19 months that has blocked the election of a president and led to two early elections.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of crisis
Noun
  • Airlines are generally required to carry crash axes in the cockpit that could be used in an emergency to break open a window to escape or break open a panel to access a fire.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 3 Oct. 2026
  • Of late, the court seems to be making an effort to offer some limited explanations of its emergency docket rulings, but lower court judges, both liberal and conservative, complain that isn't enough to provide them with adequate guidance.
    — Nina Totenberg, NPR, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of emergency
Noun
  • Lanning said after the game that Moore had movement in all of his extremities while at the hospital.
    — Ryan Kartje, Los Angeles Times, 27 Sep. 2026
  • Coach Dan Quinn said afterward that Chenal was at the hospital and had feeling in his extremities.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 27 Sep. 2026
Definition of extremity
Noun
  • One is a vow, and one is a mandate, and one is a possibility, and each of them provides Cal with a path forward.
    — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Some say the possibility of being slapped with the fees is a factor in buyers’ waning interest in condos, which have long been a relatively affordable option, at the same time that construction of new condos has continued to lag across the state.
    — Grace Toohey, Los Angeles Times, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of possibility
Noun
  • Jo and Raissa play this conflict out on screen in a story that balances action and adventure with an emotional climax that left me in tears.
    — Parents, Parents, 25 Sep. 2026
  • The climax of the book is the fight over who would run the private company.
    — Lane Brown, Vulture, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of climax
Noun
  • The creditors’ lawsuit claims that Kenny engineered a situation in which Thai Union could control Red Lobster’s seafood purchasing—cutting out competitors and charging higher prices for shrimp.
    — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 1 Oct. 2026
  • This idea of art as an impermanent intervention in the situation of things seems to be the essence of Mono-ha in Japan.
    — Barry Schwabsky, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of situation
Noun
  • Nevertheless, this is an improvement on the zero hours that (many) men were doing 50 years ago.
    — Meg Walters, Glamour, 9 Nov. 2025
  • The King video marked the zero hour for new forms of activism using cameras.
    — Will Potter July 7, Literary Hub, 7 July 2025
Definition of zero hour
Noun
  • As of late September, a few of the problems from the new list have been solved, including some landmark ones.
    — Lyndie Chiou, Scientific American, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Supreme Court justices will hear arguments next week in a landmark case that could determine whether states can sue oil and gas companies for climate change.
    — Callie Patteson, The Washington Examiner, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of landmark

Browse Nearby Words

elevations
eleventh hour
eleventh hours
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Cite this Entry

“Eleventh hour.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/eleventh%20hour. Accessed 5 Oct. 2026.

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