eleventh hour

noun

Definition of eleventh hournext
as in crisis
the latest possible time The killer's life was spared at the eleventh hour.

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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 At the eleventh hour, country star Toby Keith, rock band 3 Doors Down, and perennial patriot Lee Greenwood all ultimately signed on. — Erin Vanderhoof, Vanity Fair, 29 May 2026 The following year the company was forced to cut 8% of its global workforce, amounting to around 1,400 jobs, and shut down or dispose of a number of games studios, after claiming a $2 billion deal with an international entity had fallen through at the eleventh hour. — K.j. Yossman, Variety, 20 May 2026 The Board also addressed an eleventh hour financial reprieve from a donor, which will be able to keep Roycemore open through the end of the academic year. — Claire Murphy, Chicago Tribune, 8 May 2026 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 See All Example Sentences for eleventh hour
Recent Examples of Synonyms for eleventh hour
  1. crisis
  2. emergency
  3. extremity
  4. possibility
  5. climax
  6. situation
  7. zero hour
  8. landmark
Noun
  • Since Starmer's political crisis began brewing in early May, the pound has fallen nearly 3% cumulative against the dollar.
    — , CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026
  • The show is, in a way, the chronicle of Billie’s quarter-life crisis.
    — Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of crisis
Noun
  • Some soldiers distinguished themselves by helping to render emergency trauma response and first aid to civilians, earning individual service commendations, according to the Arkansas National Guard.
    — Neal Earley, Arkansas Online, 29 Aug. 2026
  • His newsrooms, including the Kathmandu Post, have deployed all their assets to cover the tragedy, and to provide Nepalis with clear, accurate information on emergency relief, river monitoring, and other immediate needs.
    — Ishaan Tharoor, New Yorker, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of emergency
Noun
  • That allows doctors to evaluate a person’s balance, mobility and lower extremity strength all at once.
    — Devi Shastri, Los Angeles Times, 25 Aug. 2026
  • The Eagles announced shortly after that Jackson had strength and movement in all of his extremities and was being taken to a local hospital for further evaluation.
    — Brooks Kubena, New York Times, 23 Aug. 2026
Definition of extremity
Noun
  • There are enough winnable games on the schedule that 6-6 with a bowl berth is a real possibility.
    — Stewart Mandel, New York Times, 30 Aug. 2026
  • The possibility of such a sideways optical force had already been predicted theoretically.
    — Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of possibility
Noun
  • His frantic paranoia makes the scene genuinely hard to read and sets the stage for his horrifying actions during the climax.
    — Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Ross doesn’t tend towards punch-the-air climaxes—just warm, excitable builds.
    — Shaad D’Souza, Pitchfork, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of climax
Noun
  • The Samuels’ run, however, was the spark that lit the fuse after the Caravan was denied on a fourth-and-short situation on its opening possession.
    — Patrick Z. McGavin, Chicago Tribune, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Meanwhile, Fed policy uncertainty, the Middle East situation, and an earnings season burdened with high expectations could all act as catalysts for fresh turbulence.
    — , CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of situation
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 King video marked the zero hour for new forms of activism using cameras.
    — Will Potter July 7, Literary Hub, 7 July 2025
Definition of zero hour
Noun
  • Meta agrees to a $17-billion settlement with 47 states, ending a landmark teen social media addiction trial.
    — Jack Dolan, Los Angeles Times, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Meta just settled a landmark child-safety case with a fine of up to $18 billion paid over the next decade, with annual payments equal to less than 1% of its 2025 revenue.
    — Diane Brady, Fortune, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of landmark

Browse Nearby Words

elevations
eleventh hour
eleventh hours
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Cite this Entry

“Eleventh hour.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/eleventh%20hour. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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