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 Why the eleventh hour came with an extra second, killing time proved impossible, and time fails to fly in Ann Arbor. — Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 6 Sep. 2026 Fox arrived on the production at the eleventh hour after the production’s original Romeo, Richard Madden, and then his understudy were indisposed. — Baz Bamigboye, Deadline, 4 Sep. 2026 Getting to public company standards at the eleventh hour is no longer enough. — Brian Waller, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026 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 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
  • Rolón has ordered three criminal investigations into the Ueno Bank crisis, including claims involving Peña and other current and former government officials, the prosecutor's office said Thursday.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 6 Nov. 2026
  • Paraguayan President Santiago Peña resigned from office this Thursday after Ueno Bank was shut down in the middle of the night due to a solvency crisis, leaving millions of customers unable to access their money and triggering a scandal.
    — Gonzalo Zegarra, CNN Money, 5 Nov. 2026
Definition of crisis
Noun
  • Rescue operations were complicated, with police firing tear gas at people who had begun looting neighboring shops, as officers sought to clear the area and provide access to emergency response teams.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Around 200 firefighters and emergency personnel ⁠in the area around Berchtesgaden in ​the southern region of Bavaria were battling ​the flames after the building, known as the Kehlsteinhaus, caught fire on Friday, police said.
    — Reuters, NBC news, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of emergency
Noun
  • Neither of the first two updates relieved concerns about whether Campbell had movement in his extremities, either.
    — Armando Salguero OutKick, FOXNews.com, 2 Nov. 2026
  • The sit-to-stand exercise is also widely regarded as a useful indicator of lower-extremity strength and fall risk in older adults.
    — Kristen Gasnick, Verywell Health, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of extremity
Noun
  • Larson said she was promised the possibility of living aboard for up to 15 years.
    — Grace Toohey, Los Angeles Times, 31 Oct. 2026
  • What is love in an uncertain season but the possibility of flowers blooming in the snow?
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of possibility
Noun
  • The scene comes out of nowhere, as the family are watching The Muppet Show, and climaxes with David having his throat slit.
    — Vulture Editors, Vulture, 30 Oct. 2026
  • As Melanie, Mitch, and his family try to stay safe inside his family home, the film comes to its truly unsettling climax.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of climax
Noun
  • If the Sens’ backup goaltending situation solves itself, then Staios’ shopping list could be fairly simple between now and the deadline, with landing a goal-scoring forward.
    — Julian McKenzie, New York Times, 5 Nov. 2026
  • Instead of depending on separate ammunition types for different targets, crews can configure the projectile to suit the situation.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 4 Nov. 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
  • The same way New York is known for its bagels, Nairobi is known for the We Run Nairobi neighborhood runs, a cultural landmark for locals and tourists alike.
    — Sharon Machira, Condé Nast Traveler, 5 Nov. 2026
  • Over that half century, the ship has risen from stage gimmick to cultural landmark, particularly in Black culture, and has earned a place in the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC).
    — Adam Kovac, Scientific American, 5 Nov. 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 6 Nov. 2026.

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