in the nick of time

Idioms and Phrases

Also, just in time . At the last moment, as in The police arrived in the nick of time , or He got there just in time for dinner . The first term began life as in the nick and dates from the 1500s, when nick meant “the critical moment” (a meaning now obsolete). The second employs just in the sense of “precisely” or “closely,” a usage applied to time since the 1500s. Also see in time , def. 1.

Example Sentences

The party logo was a print out on A4 paper sticky taped to it in the nick of time.

From BBC

He beat the count in the nick of time but the writing was on the wall.

From BBC

Mr Fry revealed in February 2018 that he had had prostate cancer surgery, saying it was "thankfully caught in the nick of time".

From BBC

The ball then brushed Antonee Robinson and rolled back towards the goal, only for Timothy Castagne to poke it away in the nick of time.

From BBC

There were a number of folks I spoke to in the nick of time, Ken Mansfield, who died last year.

From Salon