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 • Mar. 1, 2026

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

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 13, 2025

For the German companies standing ready to produce, store and move green hydrogen, it's now crunch time.

From BBC • Dec. 1, 2025

They are convinced golf is approaching a crunch time.

From BBC • Nov. 17, 2025

I have a lot to get caught up on, and you know that these last few weeks before April 15th are crunch time for accountants every year.

From "Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie" by Jordan Sonnenblick

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