as in crisis
a time or state of affairs requiring prompt or decisive action
we're at the zero hour, so someone has to make a decision
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of zero hour
The zero hour show begins at 1 p.m. ET and the main matches begin at 3 p.m. ET.
—
Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 12 July 2025
The King video marked the zero hour for new forms of activism using cameras.
—Will Potter
july 7, Literary Hub, 7 July 2025
She's stopped, however, when Derringer and Clarke burst in at the zero hour, giving impassioned speeches about the importance of the alliance.
—Randall Colburn, EW.com, 3 July 2025
The course will feature the same curriculum as other PE courses, East Aurora High School Principal Jennifer Mitchell said at a curriculum meeting in May, but will be offered during zero hour for the first time next year.
—Molly Morrow, Chicago Tribune, 4 June 2025
Fighting, however, continued up to the zero hour, with Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon far into the night.
—Scott Neuman, NPR, 27 Nov. 2024
English learners can attend a specialized class for learning to speak and write can be accomplished with a before-school (zero hour) or after-school period.
—Madeleine Parrish, The Arizona Republic, 8 Oct. 2024
As the zero hour approached, the men fiddled with their automatic rifles while their leader, Habib Rahman Inqayad, scrambled to get the exact location of their target.
—Safiullah Padshah, New York Times, 17 June 2023
When zero hour arrived, on a muggy Thursday afternoon, her manner was one of resigned acquiescence.
—Ned Zeman, Outside, 14 Nov. 2021
Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 12 July 2025
The King video marked the zero hour for new forms of activism using cameras.
—Will Potter
july 7, Literary Hub, 7 July 2025
She's stopped, however, when Derringer and Clarke burst in at the zero hour, giving impassioned speeches about the importance of the alliance.
—Randall Colburn, EW.com, 3 July 2025
The course will feature the same curriculum as other PE courses, East Aurora High School Principal Jennifer Mitchell said at a curriculum meeting in May, but will be offered during zero hour for the first time next year.
—Molly Morrow, Chicago Tribune, 4 June 2025
Fighting, however, continued up to the zero hour, with Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon far into the night.
—Scott Neuman, NPR, 27 Nov. 2024
English learners can attend a specialized class for learning to speak and write can be accomplished with a before-school (zero hour) or after-school period.
—Madeleine Parrish, The Arizona Republic, 8 Oct. 2024
As the zero hour approached, the men fiddled with their automatic rifles while their leader, Habib Rahman Inqayad, scrambled to get the exact location of their target.
—Safiullah Padshah, New York Times, 17 June 2023
When zero hour arrived, on a muggy Thursday afternoon, her manner was one of resigned acquiescence.
—Ned Zeman, Outside, 14 Nov. 2021
Recent Examples of Synonyms for zero hour
Noun
-
Over the past decade and a half, millions from the Middle East, North Africa, sub-Saharan Africa, and South Asia arrived amid successive crises in Syria, Libya, Afghanistan, and beyond.—
Daniel Ross Goodman,
The Washington Examiner,
9 Jan. 2026
-
Of course, 2008 was the start of the subprime mortgage crisis, which led to the Great Recession and housing crash, when the market was flooded with distressed homes, giving buyers all the power.—
Diana Olick,
CNBC,
8 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Several districts in Kyiv were hit in the attack and an emergency medical aid worker was among those killed, according to Kyiv City Military Administration head Tymur Tkachenko.—
Michael Sinkewicz,
FOXNews.com,
9 Jan. 2026
-
Be sure to cover your head and neck with your arms, and crawl under a sturdy table if possible.—
CA Earthquake Bot,
Sacbee.com,
9 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Zero hour.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/zero%20hour. Accessed 9 Jan. 2026.
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