on the hour

Idioms  

1. At every hour exactly; one o'clock, two o'clock, and so on. For example, The shuttle to New York departs on the hour. An extension of this idiom is every hour on the hour, meaning every time the clock's big hand reaches twelve, as in The bus passes by the house every hour on the hour.

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Example Sentences

Mbappe made amends on the hour mark when his sensational curling effort broke a stubborn Morocco defence, before Ousmane Dembele doubled France's lead six minutes later to secure a 2-0 win.

From BBC • Jul. 10, 2026

Musk wants SpaceX to eventually launch a Starship every hour, on the hour, but the vehicle is still in its testing phase.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 1, 2026

As if to revive potentially flagging interest along the way, something big would hit the stage almost on the hour.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 16, 2026

But Cristian Montano's sending off on the hour mark sparked a Rangers onslaught and they drew level through Emmanuel Fernandez's strike and Mikey Moore's header.

From BBC • Feb. 22, 2026

"I realize this may seem inap-propriate, but according to Samuel W. Westing's will, I must read another document on the hour."

From "The Westing Game" by Ellen Raskin