crunch time
noun
: a critical moment or period (as near the end of a game) when decisive action is needed
Synonyms
Examples of crunch time in a Sentence
The team had trained well, but at crunch time they just couldn't perform.
with only three minutes left in the game, it was definitely crunch time
Recent Examples on the Web
Further Reading The death march: the problem of crunch time in game development
After playing for about two hours and talking to the team behind the project, Cain said the VP asked him directly how long the demo needed to become a shippable game.
—
Kyle Orland, Ars Technica, 20 June 2024
Tax season is entering crunch time as the deadline to file is just over three weeks away.
—James Powel, USA TODAY, 11 Apr. 2024
Brunson’s turnover was only one mistake the Knicks made in crunch time.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 14 June 2024
This critical loss of cash came just as Boeing's space division faced crunch time to complete work on Starliner.
—Eric Berger, Ars Technica, 6 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for crunch time 
Kyle Orland, Ars Technica, 20 June 2024
Tax season is entering crunch time as the deadline to file is just over three weeks away.
—James Powel, USA TODAY, 11 Apr. 2024
Brunson’s turnover was only one mistake the Knicks made in crunch time.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 14 June 2024
This critical loss of cash came just as Boeing's space division faced crunch time to complete work on Starliner.
—Eric Berger, Ars Technica, 6 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for crunch time
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'crunch time.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near crunch time
Cite this Entry
“Crunch time.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/crunch%20time. Accessed 4 Jul. 2024.
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