beat the clock
idiom
: to do or finish something quickly before a particular time
In a desperate attempt to beat the clock, I raced to mail my tax return before midnight.
Examples of beat the clock in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
After a review, the refs ruled there was no interference and the goal beat the clock.
—
Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 25 Jan. 2025
Advertisement After deadline-day trade talks with the Chicago White Sox over Garrett Crochet stalled, general manager Brandon Gomes was on the phone with the Detroit Tigers up until the deadline’s final moments, working a package that barely beat the clock before being finalized.
—Jack Harris, Los Angeles Times, 8 Sep. 2024
Even as workers at Cape Canaveral frantically tried to beat the clock, more work had to happen at the Johnson Space Center in Houston: Atlantis still needed a crew.
—Lee Hutchinson, Ars Technica, 1 Feb. 2023
For this summery supper, grill steak, corn, and peppers simultaneously to beat the clock.
—Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 17 Dec. 2023
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Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 25 Jan. 2025
Advertisement After deadline-day trade talks with the Chicago White Sox over Garrett Crochet stalled, general manager Brandon Gomes was on the phone with the Detroit Tigers up until the deadline’s final moments, working a package that barely beat the clock before being finalized.
—Jack Harris, Los Angeles Times, 8 Sep. 2024
Even as workers at Cape Canaveral frantically tried to beat the clock, more work had to happen at the Johnson Space Center in Houston: Atlantis still needed a crew.
—Lee Hutchinson, Ars Technica, 1 Feb. 2023
For this summery supper, grill steak, corn, and peppers simultaneously to beat the clock.
—Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 17 Dec. 2023
See all Example Sentences for beat the clock
Dictionary Entries Near beat the clock
Cite this Entry
“Beat the clock.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/beat%20the%20clock. Accessed 10 Feb. 2025.
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