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Dictionary

Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

crunch time en · NOUN

Pronunciation

Meanings

  1. (colloquial, uncountable) A critical period of time during which it is necessary to work hard and fast.
    • His decision on cluster munitions, which drew scorn from progressives in Congress, is indicative of a sense in Washington that the war is reaching crunch time as Ukraine wages a slow but steady counter-offensive. 2023 July 7, David Smith, “End justifies means for Biden in sending cluster bombs to Ukraine”, in The Guardian, →ISSN:
    • Tough-minded, Vidia reacted in much the same way as he had in Uganda. Whenever he met Indians in Kenya, he challenged them, demanding to know their backup plans in case of trouble. He called it "crunch time." "Very well then," he [V. S. Naipaul] would say after the first pleasantries, "what are you going to do when crunch time comes? 2000, Paul Theroux, Sir Vidia's shadow: a friendship across five continents, page 61:
  2. (uncountable) The last few minutes of play in the fourth quarter.

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
time crunch alternative lexicographic
crunch-time alternative lexicographic
crunchtime alternative lexicographic

Relateds

nut-cutting time