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Time is of the essence

Cultural  
  1. Said when something must be done immediately: “The doctors need to operate right now; if they hope to save her, time is of the essence.”


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.

Time is of the essence when it comes to making these refund-enhancing tax-planning moves, and filing your 2025 tax return, according to Greene-Lewis.

From MarketWatch

“We want State Farm to take care of its customers as soon as possible, because time is of the essence. We want residents to be able to get back in their homes and start the rebuilding process,” said Kuhn, who is leading the investigation.

From Los Angeles Times

In urging the First Circuit to preserve McConnell’s ruling, the coalition that sued in Rhode Island said children and families are going hungry and “time is of the essence.”

From The Wall Street Journal

For her MPs - and I've contacted almost all of them for my BBC Radio 5 Live show via text and WhatsApp over the last few days - time is of the essence, and for some, it is already running out.

From BBC

One ally of Mahmood told the BBC: "She knows that time is of the essence. She didn't take long to take big decisions at the Ministry of Justice, and she doesn't tend to hang about."

From BBC