time frame
noun
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time frame or timeframe?
Should time frame be written as one word or two? At present, it is most commonly styled as two words with no hyphen in between.
Compounds, or “words consisting of components that are words,” come in three varieties: open (two words with a space between them, such as lima bean), hyphenated (two words with a hyphen between them, such as runner-up), and closed (one word, such as rowboat). In some cases, competing compound stylings appear in different publications. This is generally acceptable as long as the spelling remains consistent throughout a book or periodical.
Compounds have a tendency to move from open to closed as time goes by, and our evidence suggests that time frame is headed in this direction. At this point, however, the open compound is far more prevalent.
Examples of time frame in a Sentence
Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 30 Dec. 2025
Travel numbers for the holiday time frame that includes Christmas and New Year is expected to set a new record in 2025, AAA-The Auto Club Group said.
—Paula Wethington, CBS News, 29 Dec. 2025
Sunscreen lasts a few years but exposure to sun and heat can shorten the time frame, and your tubes of sun protection have likely been poolside, in your beach bag, or sitting in a hot car.
—Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 26 Dec. 2025
The stock has skyrocketed nearly 3,000% in the last three years, crushing the S&P 500′s roughly 80% gain and the technology-heavy Nasdaq Composite’s more than 120% climb in the same time frame.
—Alex Harring, CNBC, 25 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for time frame
Cite this Entry
“Time frame.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/time%20frame. Accessed 31 Dec. 2025.
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