eat up/run out/kill the clock

idiom

US, sports
: to keep control of the ball or puck near the end of a game so that the opponent will not have a chance to score
We kept moving the ball to try to eat up the clock.
If we can run out the clock, we can keep our lead and win.

Dictionary Entries Near eat up/run out/kill the clock

eat up

eat up/run out/kill the clock

eau

Cite this Entry

“Eat up/run out/kill the clock.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/eat%20up%2Frun%20out%2Fkill%20the%20clock. Accessed 23 Apr. 2024.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!