against the clock

Idioms

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.

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.

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 • Mar. 16, 2026

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

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 14, 2026

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

From Barron's • Mar. 3, 2026

Instead of preparing their own holiday festivities on the day before Christmas Eve, the women raced against the clock, with only hours left to perform a Christmas miracle.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 25, 2025

Above the South Col, up in the Death Zone, survival is to no small degree a race against the clock.

From "Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer

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