clock is ticking, the

Idioms  

1. The time (for something to be done) is passing quickly; hurry up. For example, The clock is ticking on that project. This allusion to a stopwatch is often used as an admonition to speed something up. It also is used in more specific form— one's biological clock is ticking —meaning that a woman may soon be too old to bear a child, as in Her biological clock is ticking—she just turned forty.

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Example Sentences

The slow rollout of new EVs gives the false impression that we have time when, in reality, the clock is ticking The slow rollout of new EVs gives the false impression that we have time when, in reality, the clock is ticking.

From The Verge

“The clock is ticking,” the prime minister somberly told the gathering, citing the “invisible and suffocating blanket of CO2” engulfing the planet.

From Los Angeles Times

The clock is ticking The clock is ticking.

From The Verge

But the clock is ticking: the talks are now likely to go beyond yet another Brexit deadline - this time Nov. 15 - though negotiators are racing to clinch a deal that would allow enough time for ratification before it kicks in on Dec. 31.

From Reuters

While adjustments continue, the clock is ticking: The season starts three weeks from Wednesday.

From Seattle Times