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
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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
Meg Walters, Glamour, 9 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for zero hours
Noun
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The move triggered a global collapse of silver prices, froze half the world’s precious metal reserves, and helped ignite the cascading crises of 1873.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
2 June 2026
-
Most CEOs are making consequential calls in the margins of their schedule, between meetings, between crises, between everything else.—
Liam Chrismer,
Forbes.com,
1 June 2026
Noun
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One of Miami’s most maddening crossroads has become easier to navigate.—
Amaia Gavica,
Miami Herald,
3 June 2026
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Walnut Creek developed at the crossroads of two 19th-century routes, one running between Oakland and east Contra Costa County and the other between Martinez, a shipping town on the Carquinez Strait, and San Jose.—
Martha Ross,
Mercury News,
2 June 2026
Noun
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The heads of the International Energy Agency, International Monetary Fund, World Bank Group and World Trade Organization also forecast further economic damage over the summer months if the Strait of Hormuz, through which about 20% of the world’s oil supply typically passes, is not reopened.—
Alayna Treene,
CNN Money,
30 May 2026
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For 2026, single filers and heads of household can make a full contribution if their Modified Adjusted Gross Income (MAGI) falls below $153,000, with the ability to contribute phasing out between $153,000 and $168,000.—
Andreina Rodriguez,
CNBC,
30 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Zero hours.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/zero%20hours. Accessed 5 Jun. 2026.
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