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

See Examples For:

against the clock

Hundreds of rescuers had been working against the clock to free Gil since he was found on Saturday.

From BBC ● Jul. 2, 2026

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

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

The traditional skimo format is an individual racing against the clock, not in a cluster of competitors, and courses have elevation gains typically ranging from 1,640 to 2,300 feet.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 4, 2026

What one historian has called “the perishability of revolutionary time” meant that the political will to act was also racing against the clock.

From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis