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

For Alabama Mark Sears’ 30 points and 19 points from Labaron Philon were a few bright spots for an Alabama offense that found its shot late in the game but wasn’t consistent enough across 40 minutes. —The Athletic College Basketball Staff, The Athletic, 6 Mar. 2025

But Kyle wasn’t quite expecting a double team this late in the game, either. —Edgar Thompson, Orlando Sentinel, 26 Feb. 2025

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