time is up

Idioms  

1. The period of time allowed for something is ended, as in Turn in your papers, students; time is up. This idiom uses up in the sense of “completed” or “expired,” a usage dating from about 1400.

---

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

time is up

Cells can enter apoptosis when they become old, damaged, or receive molecular signals telling them that their time is up.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 18, 2026

Not if you’re a veteran superhero trying to ignore the inference that your time is up.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026

Clark approaches a breakthrough, but can’t see past his own victim complex before their time is up.

From Salon ● May 30, 2026

"The Games are no longer sustainable from an environmental or a social point of view, their time is up," 29-year-old protester Francesca Missana told AFP.

From Barron's ● Feb. 7, 2026

And then the Peacekeeper is at the door, signaling our time is up, and we're all hugging one another so hard it hurts and all I'm saying is "I love you. I love you both."

From "The Hunger Games" by Suzanne Collins