against the clock

Idioms  

1. Also, against time. In a great hurry, as fast as possible, as in With her term paper due on Monday, she was racing against the clock to finish it, or They were working against time to stay on schedule. The term comes from various sports in which the contestants do not directly compete against each other but instead are timed individually, the winner being the one who is fastest. Its figurative use dates from the mid-1900s.

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Example Sentences

A large digital clock appeared at the start of each episode, with bright numerals showing the current time in 24-hour format, as Bauer raced against the clock to avert disaster.

From MarketWatch

Show jumping pits a horse and rider against an obstacle course, where they clear fences against the clock.

From The Wall Street Journal

On 14 March, she will compete in the women's LL2 banked slalom, a technical discipline raced against the clock on a course of tight turns.

From BBC

Athletes race against the clock down a winding course with tight turns.

From BBC

Lawmakers are racing against the clock to pass two major pieces of legislation that the White House has supported.

From Barron's