as in crisis
the latest possible time
The killer's life was spared at the eleventh hour.
Related Words
Relevance
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of eleventh hour
The ultimate scene packs a punch here — without spoiling things, Abigail Onwunali is particularly powerful in a role that Wilson saves till the eleventh hour, and Boone goes to places at once frightening and devastating.
—
Sara Holdren, Vulture, 26 Apr. 2026
After all, there are so many things to paint in a kitchen, from cabinets to walls to trim, and making a painting mistake after everything is installed in the kitchen can ruin the final look in the eleventh hour.
—Sarah Lyon, The Spruce, 7 Apr. 2026
The Baltimore Ravens swooped in at the eleventh hour to get him, and the rest is history.
—Ernesto Cova, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2026
Both Bill and Hillary Clinton’s agreement to testify before the committee came at the eleventh hour, as the House prepared to hold them in contempt for failing to comply with a congressional subpoena for their testimony.
—Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 7 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for eleventh hour
Sara Holdren, Vulture, 26 Apr. 2026
After all, there are so many things to paint in a kitchen, from cabinets to walls to trim, and making a painting mistake after everything is installed in the kitchen can ruin the final look in the eleventh hour.
—Sarah Lyon, The Spruce, 7 Apr. 2026
The Baltimore Ravens swooped in at the eleventh hour to get him, and the rest is history.
—Ernesto Cova, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2026
Both Bill and Hillary Clinton’s agreement to testify before the committee came at the eleventh hour, as the House prepared to hold them in contempt for failing to comply with a congressional subpoena for their testimony.
—Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 7 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for eleventh hour
Recent Examples of Synonyms for eleventh hour
Noun
-
Alas, as the current crisis confirms, such mere facts do not persuade those leading the anti-vaccine crusade that threatens both existing protections and the hope of creating new ones.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
11 June 2026
-
Haiti is one of the world’s poorest countries, in the grip of a political and humanitarian crisis.—
Oliver Kay,
New York Times,
11 June 2026
Noun
-
America’s stockpile of emergency crude oil is shrinking fast, rapidly approaching the four-decade low set under former President Joe Biden.—
Jessie Yeung,
CNN Money,
9 June 2026
-
According to the emergency motion filed in court, Proctor was looking to delay that deposition due to personal circumstances.—
Matt Schooley,
CBS News,
8 June 2026
Noun
-
No serious person can look at the evidence on anxiety, self-harm, addictive design, sexualized content, violent material and algorithmic extremity and conclude that nothing must change.—
Belonging Forum,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2026
-
Police said the victim was stabbed multiple times on his body and on his extremities.—
Mike Darnay,
CBS News,
11 June 2026
Noun
-
The possibility of pairing Donald with Garrett — a two-time defensive player of the year — continues to intrigue both in and out of the Rams’ facility.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
9 June 2026
-
For their part, Rams players and coaches haven’t shut the door on the possibility.—
Adam Grosbard,
Oc Register,
9 June 2026
Noun
-
By the time the trio closed out its set with an intense drum climax that could have rivaled thunder, thousands were still dancing beneath the lasers, smoke and stars, reluctant to let the night end.—
Bryan West,
USA Today,
14 June 2026
-
The slow dance came to a climax on June 9 — which is depicted in the far right panel — when skywatchers worldwide were treated to a dramatic planetary conjunction as Jupiter and Venus shone less than 2 degrees away from one another above the western horizon.—
Anthony Wood,
Space.com,
13 June 2026
Noun
-
Qatari negotiators, in coordination with the United States, have flown to Tehran Sunday morning to help facilitate the finalization of the agreement, a source with knowledge of the situation told CNN.—
Kevin Liptak,
CNN Money,
14 June 2026
-
Namely, while classic tragicomedy places comedic figures in a tragic setting—pitting being against situation—newer navigations turn to intermedia to navigate both/and-ness.—
Eugenie Brinkema,
ARTnews.com,
14 June 2026
Noun
-
Nevertheless, this is an improvement on the zero hours that (many) men were doing 50 years ago.—
Meg Walters,
Glamour,
9 Nov. 2025
-
The zero hour show begins at 1 p.m. ET and the main matches begin at 3 p.m. ET.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
12 July 2025
Noun
-
Thirty years after making its film debut, Park Hyatt Tokyo emerges from a landmark renovation and steals the spotlight once again.—
Carrie Bell,
Forbes.com,
11 June 2026
-
Tourists can tear up at Firefighter Memorial Fountain, capture the picturesque Rose Garden Fountain at Loose Park and sink into the history of not just fountains, but neighborhoods, cultural landmarks and public art across the city.—
Sophie Lindberg,
Kansas City Star,
11 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Eleventh hour.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/eleventh%20hour. Accessed 16 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
