moment of truth

American  

noun

1. the moment in a bullfight at which the matador is about to make the kill.

2. the moment at which one's character, courage, skill, etc., is put to an extreme test; critical moment.

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moment of truth British  

noun

1. a moment when a person or thing is put to the test

2. the point in a bullfight when the matador is about to kill the bull

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moment of truth Idioms  

1. A critical or decisive time, at which one is put to the ultimate test, as in Now that all the bills are in, we've come to the moment of truth—can we afford to live here or not? This expression, a translation of the Spanish el momento de la verdad, signifies the point in a bullfight when the matador makes the kill. It was first used in English in Ernest Hemingway's story Death in the Afternoon (1932).

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Etymology

Origin of moment of truth

First recorded in 1930–35

Example Sentences

The other way small-caps could outperform is if AI stocks have a moment of truth.

From Barron's • Dec. 18, 2025

"Now the moment of truth," he smiled to the camera, with a touch of drama.

From BBC • Aug. 4, 2025

They lightly banter until the moment of truth.

From Salon • Mar. 22, 2025

For Dershwitz, the moment of truth — athletically and financially — came at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 25, 2024

Penelope said nothing, although inside she began to feel the kind of fluttery, nervous tummy that she supposed every master criminal felt as the moment of truth grew near.

From "The Interrupted Tale" by Maryrose Wood