early/late in the game

idiom

: at an early/late time in a game or sport

She scored a goal early in the game.

—often used figuratively

It's too late in the game to change the date of the meeting.

She got into the computer industry early in the game.

Examples of early/late in the game in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

His fastball sat in the low 90s throughout the game and touched 95 mph early in the game. —Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 14 Feb. 2025

This video below shows Barkley talking up the Chiefs defense before cutting to the reaction of Kansas City players late in the game. —Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 14 Feb. 2025

In the eight year interim since Rocca was ousted Taormina has seen several upheavals and struggled to find its footing amid a succession of different artistic directors, including former Venice chief Marco Mueller who was hired to take the reins late in the game last year. —Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 13 Feb. 2025

Gardner-Johnson, who had an interception return for a touchdown nullified late in the game, posted a message seemingly directed toward the star tight end and his romantic life. —Ryan Gaydos, Fox News, 11 Feb. 2025