moment of truth
Americannoun
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the moment in a bullfight at which the matador is about to make the kill.
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the moment at which one's character, courage, skill, etc., is put to an extreme test; critical moment.
noun
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a moment when a person or thing is put to the test
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the point in a bullfight when the matador is about to kill the bull
Etymology
Origin of moment of truth
First recorded in 1930–35
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.
The moment of truth came on June 16, 1994, when the opening game was held, by chance, at Soldier Field in my adopted hometown of Chicago.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 5, 2026
"What 2024 established was that Indian women filmmakers are not marginal voices, but leading global ones," says film critic Mayank Shekhar, calling it "a moment of truth" rather than a trend.
From BBC • Jan. 2, 2026
The other way small-caps could outperform is if AI stocks have a moment of truth.
From Barron's • Dec. 18, 2025
The moment of truth arrived … and Bella Jones rose to the occasion.
From Los Angeles Times • May 3, 2025
It was the moment of truth, for both Lawrence and the bomb project.
From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik
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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.