eleventh hour

American  

noun

1. the last possible moment for doing something.

   to change plans at the eleventh hour.

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eleventh hour British  

noun

1. 1. the latest possible time; last minute

   2. ( as modifier )

      an eleventh-hour decision

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eleventh hour Cultural  

1. The last minute: “The water bombers arrived at the eleventh hour — just in time to prevent the forest fire from engulfing the town.”

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eleventh hour Idioms  

1. The latest possible time, as in We turned in our report at the eleventh hour. This term is thought to allude to the parable of the laborers (Matthew 20:1–16), in which those workers hired at the eleventh hour of a twelve-hour working day were paid the same amount as those who began in the first hour. [Early 1800s]

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Etymology

Origin of eleventh hour

First recorded in 1820–30

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

eleventh hour

But at least 20 key speakers from Africa and Asia -- where the deaths are heavily concentrated -- were refused entry to Europe at the eleventh hour.

From Barron's ● Jun. 12, 2026

It manages to eke out its message in the eleventh hour, but it feels too little too late in our cultural moment, despite its evergreen importance.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 6, 2025

The school district also tried to radically change its argument at the eleventh hour by expanding it.

From Slate ● Jul. 9, 2025

The surprising announcement came at the eleventh hour of his presidency and sparked celebration among the amendment's backers.

From Salon ● Jan. 17, 2025

On November 11 at eleven a.m.—the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month—the guns fell silent on the Western Front.

From "The War to End All Wars: World War I" by Russell Freedman