Thesaurus results for LAST MINUTE

last minute

noun

Definition of last minute

as in crisis

the last possible time when something can be done You shouldn't wait until the last minute before planning your retirement. They were making changes to the show right up to the last minute.

Related Words

Relevance

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for last minute

Noun

But traffic is still far below the more than 700 transits seen in a typical week before the crisis, Lloyd’s List said.

— ABC News, ABC News, 7 Aug. 2026
The seven-year conflict helped create one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.

— Sophia Saifi, CNN Money, 7 Aug. 2026

Definition of crisis

Noun

In The Odyssey, Odysseus falls into a deep sleep on the deck of his ship when an emergency arises at sea.

— John Blake, CNN Money, 2 Aug. 2026
The Illinois Department of Transportation announced that there would be an emergency road closure at the inbound Lawrence Avenue exit on the Kennedy (Interstate 90), citing the early morning concrete retention wall failure as the reason.

— Allison Kiehl, Chicago Tribune, 2 Aug. 2026

Definition of emergency

Noun

That geometry offers the rare possibility of watching an eclipsed sun descend toward the horizon.

— Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 3 Aug. 2026
Chinese military affairs expert Song Zhongping said the Type 076 amphibious assault ship marks a significant technological advance, introducing new possibilities for naval operations.

— Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 2 Aug. 2026

Definition of possibility

Noun

Allie’s hopeless romanticism isn’t well-established, and there’s a whole complicated climax (no pun intended) involving the Empire State Building that could have been a lot smoother and more intuitive.

— Katie Walsh, Los Angeles Times, 6 Aug. 2026
David is ultimately revealed (spoiler alert) as a survivor of the climax’s brutal assault, which has led to unceasing fan demand for a sequel.

— Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 5 Aug. 2026

Definition of climax

Noun

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

Definition of eleventh hour

Noun

That's a very tight timeline, but Katalyst hit it, getting LINK ready by its launch date and checking off a number of commissioning milestones before running into trouble.

— Mike Wall, Space.com, 7 Aug. 2026
The milestone is yet another sign of the escalating water crisis on the Colorado River, which scientists say is worsened by climate change.

— Sarah Kaplan, Washington Post, 7 Aug. 2026

Definition of milestone

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.

Browse Nearby Words

lastly

last minute

last minutes

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Last minute.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/last%20minute. Accessed 8 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of last minute

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster on last minute

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

nurture

Popular in Grammar & Usage

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

'Sneaked' or 'Snuck': Which is correct?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Aug. 7

How long is a jiffy?

Popular

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

Games & Quizzes