Synonyms

crunch time

American

a period of intense pressure; a critical situation.

It's crunch time for high-tech companies.

crunch time Idioms

A period when pressure to succeed is great, often toward the end of an undertaking. For example, It's crunch time—we only have two more days to finish. This term employs crunch in the sense of “a critical situation or test.” [Slang; 1970s]

Etymology

Origin of crunch time

1975–80

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Tanking used to be the territory of general managers who assembled lackluster rosters, not of coaches who sat healthy players in the crunch time of games.

From The Wall Street Journal

Welcome to February’s gym crunch time, when winter sports teams such as basketball are busy with playoffs and spring sports teams such as volleyball are gearing up for the start of their season.

From Los Angeles Times

“When it comes to crunch time, he can be counted on.”

From Los Angeles Times

They are decidedly un-clutch, making big mistakes in crunch time.

From Los Angeles Times

It sounds like you have been operating on crunch time for these upcoming shows.

From Los Angeles Times

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023