How to Use crunch time in a Sentence

crunch time

noun
  • The team had trained well, but at crunch time they just couldn't perform.
  • That means getting stops at crunch time.
    — Cedric Golden, Austin American Statesman, 30 Jan. 2026
  • In crunch time, Leavitt finds ways to make plays.
    — Sam Khan Jr, New York Times, 2 Apr. 2026
  • In crunch times, our duties overlap.
    — Jeanne Phillips, Mercury News, 18 Apr. 2026
  • That’s when Canales and Idzik will likely test him in crunch time.
    — Mike Kaye, Charlotte Observer, 18 Sep. 2025
  • The Spurs went up 20 by the beginning of crunch time.
    — Christian Clark, New York Times, 26 Apr. 2026
  • Ellis came up with some big plays during crunch time Tuesday.
    — Jeff Vorva, Chicago Tribune, 4 Mar. 2026
  • Pre-snap reads and post-snap adjustments can prove critical in crunch time.
    — Michael-Shawn Dugar, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2025
  • So, the defense doubled down on dominance in crunch time.
    — Charlotte Observer, 20 Oct. 2025
  • That doesn’t mean the Bears will win every tight playoff game, but they won’t be fazed in crunch time.
    — Kevin Fishbain, New York Times, 2 Jan. 2026
  • Friday night, at crunch time, Kel’el Ware mattered.
    — Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 7 Mar. 2026
  • Redick’s team, which had seen a 13-point lead evaporate, again proved its mettle in crunch time.
    — Benjamin Royer, Oc Register, 19 Mar. 2026
  • The game was well into crunch time, and Detroit needed to create some breathing room.
    — Hunter Patterson, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2026
  • However, in the throes of crunch time, Wembanyama left the Earth.
    — Marcus Thompson Ii, New York Times, 9 May 2026
  • The week before Christmas is crunch time for holiday shopping.
    — Andreina Rodriguez, CNBC, 17 Dec. 2025
  • The Lightning enjoyed crunch time to clinch another league title.
    — Dan Albano, Oc Register, 29 Jan. 2026
  • That day, like Saturday, the Cherry Creek defense bowed up in crunch time.
    — Kyle Newman, Denver Post, 29 Nov. 2025
  • LaVine addresses fourth-quarter benchings LaVine sat in crunch time for a third straight game.
    — Chris Biderman, Sacbee.com, 21 Nov. 2025
  • Around June of 2025, the team behind Pixar's Hoppers was in the thick of crunch time.
    — Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 4 Mar. 2026
  • Rybakina lifted her game in crunch time, lacing winners into the postage stamps to the end and sealing the title with an ace.
    — Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 31 Jan. 2026
  • And Gwath, also recovering from the flu and bum ankle, was on the bench during crunch time with Byrd.
    — Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Dec. 2025
  • In their four postseasons with Brunson, the Knicks are 18-10 in games that have gone to crunch time.
    — Lev Akabas, Sportico.com, 3 June 2026
  • But crunch time in the fourth quarter, with the Vikings down 17-6, McCarthy answered the call.
    — Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 9 Sep. 2025
  • Things came to a head in crunch time when Wallace was hounding Castle so much on an inbound that the Spurs couldn’t even get the ball in.
    — Jared Weiss, New York Times, 21 May 2026
  • Expect a tight, competitive game as the outcome may come down to execution in crunch time, turnovers, and which team controls the pace and tempo.
    — Ben Verbrugge, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Dec. 2025
  • The owners could be banking that if their cap proposal looks better and better over time, players might think twice about choosing to miss games when crunch time arrives.
    — Evan Drellich, New York Times, 25 June 2026
  • Baker Mayfield has been clutch in crunch time and now owns the seventh-best MVP odds at 20-1.
    — Andy Scholes, CNN Money, 25 Sep. 2025
  • In addition to their defense, special teams was a major culprit, particularly in crunch time.
    — Robert Marvi, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Sep. 2025
  • Minott and Walsh shared the floor in crunch time, with Mazzulla favoring a smaller, more athletic lineup.
    — Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 3 Dec. 2025
  • While Tampa Bay has enjoyed some good fortune late in games (4-1 in one-score games), Mayfield just might be that guy in crunch time.
    — Austin Mock, New York Times, 16 Oct. 2025

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'crunch time.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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