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.

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

time is up

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

From Salon ● May 30, 2026

One woman, Francesca Missana, told AFP news agency that the Olympic Games were "no longer sustainable from an environmental or a social point of view, their time is up".

From BBC ● Feb. 8, 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

We have had callers on 6-0-6 suggesting his time is up at Turf Moor, but I think that is harsh because they have still been competitive despite all those defeats.

From BBC ● Dec. 18, 2025

Here’s a musty old custom whose time is up.

From "Woe Is I" by Patricia T. O'Conner