zero hours

noun

plural of zero hour
as in crises
a time or state of affairs requiring prompt or decisive action we're at the zero hour, so someone has to make a decision

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 zero hours Nevertheless, this is an improvement on the zero hours that (many) men were doing 50 years ago. — Meg Walters, Glamour, 9 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for zero hours
  1. crises
  2. crossroads
  3. heads
Noun
  • When the previous coalition came to power in 2025, Bolojan was sworn in with the aim of ending one of Romania’s worst political crises in its post-Communist history and reducing a massive budget deficit.
    — Stephen McGrath, Los Angeles Times, 30 Sep. 2026
  • The report concludes that resilience must become a core strategic priority rather than a reactive response to crises.
    — Mitch New, Fortune, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of crises
Noun
  • Obsession follows a socially awkward young man named Bear, who finds himself at a crossroads when his wish to win the heart of his longtime crush takes on frighteningly possessive consequences.
    — Mariam Bagdady, Vogue, 29 Sep. 2026
  • This year’s event arrives amid surging hopes but lingering anxieties for an African industry at a crossroads.
    — Christopher Vourlias, Variety, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of crossroads
Noun
  • The heads of the three leading artificial intelligence labs called for slowing down how fast AI models improve, and chipmakers took the hit.
    — Tony Zhang, CNBC, 30 Sep. 2026
  • Other East African countries – Rwanda, Burundi, South Sudan, and Tanzania – sent heads of delegation to represent their heads of state at the ceremony.
    — Evelyne Musambi, Fortune, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of heads

Browse Nearby Words

zero hour
zero hours
zeroing (in on)
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Cite this Entry

“Zero hours.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/zero%20hours. Accessed 6 Oct. 2026.

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