crunch time
noun
: a critical moment or period (as near the end of a game) when decisive action is needed
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
Without two primary ball handlers, the Kings offense turned isolation heavy in crunch time.
—
Chris Biderman, Sacramento Bee, 6 Mar. 2025
In crunch time, especially in the semifinals and finals, anybody could easily see just how important those games were.
—Ryan Morik, Fox News, 27 Feb. 2025
As all of Madison Square Garden rose to its feet to cheer the Knicks’ captain in crunch time, Brunson connected on a side-step two to tie the game at 104 with 22.7 seconds left on the clock.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 21 Feb. 2025
With Butler now out of the fold, Herro will see the ball even more in hands, with little doubt that the ball will go through him in crunch time.
—Dj Siddiqi, Forbes, 20 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for crunch time
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.
Chris Biderman, Sacramento Bee, 6 Mar. 2025
In crunch time, especially in the semifinals and finals, anybody could easily see just how important those games were.
—Ryan Morik, Fox News, 27 Feb. 2025
As all of Madison Square Garden rose to its feet to cheer the Knicks’ captain in crunch time, Brunson connected on a side-step two to tie the game at 104 with 22.7 seconds left on the clock.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 21 Feb. 2025
With Butler now out of the fold, Herro will see the ball even more in hands, with little doubt that the ball will go through him in crunch time.
—Dj Siddiqi, Forbes, 20 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for crunch time
Cite this Entry
“Crunch time.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/crunch%20time. Accessed 10 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share