Time is something we all live with, but it can be hard to talk about how quickly it goes by or how we spend it. That’s where idioms come in! Idioms are special phrases that use creative language to express ideas in a more vivid, fun way. When it comes to time, there are tons of expressions that show how fast it moves, how we waste it, or how we try to manage it.
These idioms about time passing can help you understand everyday conversations better and make your own speech sound more natural and expressive. Whether you’re talking about growing up, missing a deadline, or just feeling like the day slipped away, there’s an idiom that captures it perfectly.
In this blog post, you’ll explore 50 popular time-related idioms, their meanings, and how to use them in sentences. You’ll also find a short exercise at the end to test your knowledge. Let’s take a fun and insightful trip through the ticking clock of language!
Idioms About Time Passing
1. Time flies
Meaning: Time seems to pass very quickly.
In a Sentence: I can’t believe it’s already December—time really flies when you’re busy.
Other Ways to Say: Time moves fast, Time speeds by
2. In the blink of an eye
Meaning: Something happens very quickly or suddenly.
In a Sentence: The weekend was over in the blink of an eye, and now it’s back to school.
Other Ways to Say: So fast, Gone before you know it
3. Around the clock
Meaning: All day and all night without stopping.
In a Sentence: The doctors worked around the clock to help the patients during the emergency.
Other Ways to Say: 24/7, Non-stop
4. Beat the clock
Meaning: To finish something before a deadline.
In a Sentence: I managed to beat the clock and turn in my essay five minutes early.
Other Ways to Say: Finish on time, Meet the deadline
5. Call it a day
Meaning: To stop working for the day or end an activity.
In a Sentence: We’ve been studying for hours, so let’s call it a day and get some rest.
Other Ways to Say: Stop for now, Wrap it up
6. Behind the times
Meaning: Outdated or not keeping up with current trends.
In a Sentence: My uncle still uses a flip phone—he’s really behind the times.
Other Ways to Say: Old-fashioned, Not modern
7. Make up for lost time
Meaning: To do something quickly because you delayed or missed doing it earlier.
In a Sentence: I skipped practice last week, so I’m training extra hard now to make up for lost time.
Other Ways to Say: Catch up, Compensate for delay
8. Pressed for time
Meaning: Having very little time to do something.
In a Sentence: I’m really pressed for time, so I’ll have to call you back later.
Other Ways to Say: In a rush, Short on time
9. On the dot
Meaning: Exactly at a specific time.
In a Sentence: The meeting starts at 9 a.m. on the dot, so don’t be late.
Other Ways to Say: Exactly on time, Punctually
10. Kill time
Meaning: To do something just to pass time, often while waiting.
In a Sentence: I walked around the mall to kill time before my appointment.
Other Ways to Say: Pass the time, Wait it out
11. Time is money
Meaning: Time is valuable, so don’t waste it.
In a Sentence: He believes that time is money and uses every minute wisely.
Other Ways to Say: Time is precious, Be efficient
12. Run out of time
Meaning: To have no more time left to do something.
In a Sentence: I ran out of time and couldn’t finish the last question on the test.
Other Ways to Say: Time’s up, Out of time
13. At the eleventh hour
Meaning: At the very last possible moment.
In a Sentence: She submitted her application at the eleventh hour, just before the deadline.
Other Ways to Say: Last minute, Just in time
14. Better late than never
Meaning: It’s better to do something late than not do it at all.
In a Sentence: He finally apologized—better late than never, I guess.
Other Ways to Say: At least it happened, Not too late
15. Have the time of your life
Meaning: To enjoy something very much and have a great experience.
In a Sentence: We had the time of our lives on our school trip to the amusement park.
Other Ways to Say: Have a blast, Enjoy to the fullest
16. Third time’s the charm
Meaning: After two failures, the third attempt might succeed.
In a Sentence: I failed my driving test twice, but the third time’s the charm!
Other Ways to Say: Success after trying again, Persistence pays off
17. Bide your time
Meaning: To wait patiently for the right moment.
In a Sentence: She’s just biding her time until she can apply for that leadership role.
Other Ways to Say: Wait for the chance, Be patient
18. A race against time
Meaning: A situation where you have to do something quickly before time runs out.
In a Sentence: Finishing this project before the deadline feels like a race against time.
Other Ways to Say: Rushing to finish, Hurry up
19. Time will tell
Meaning: Only in the future will the result be known.
In a Sentence: I don’t know if my plan will work, but time will tell.
Other Ways to Say: Let’s wait and see, Future will reveal
20. Take your time
Meaning: Don’t rush; do something slowly and carefully.
In a Sentence: Take your time with the art project—it doesn’t have to be perfect today.
Other Ways to Say: No hurry, Do it slowly
21. Just in the nick of time
Meaning: At the very last moment before it’s too late.
In a Sentence: I got to the bus stop just in the nick of time—it pulled up as I arrived.
Other Ways to Say: Barely made it, Right on time
22. Once in a blue moon
Meaning: Something that happens very rarely.
In a Sentence: We only go out for fancy dinners once in a blue moon.
Other Ways to Say: Hardly ever, Rare occasion
23. All in good time
Meaning: Something will happen, but you need to wait.
In a Sentence: You’ll get your promotion—all in good time.
Other Ways to Say: Be patient, It will happen
24. Take a trip down memory lane
Meaning: To think back on or talk about the past.
In a Sentence: Looking at old photo albums always takes me down memory lane.
Other Ways to Say: Reminisce, Think about the past
25. A stitch in time saves nine
Meaning: Fixing a problem early saves more trouble later.
In a Sentence: Clean up the mess now—a stitch in time saves nine.
Other Ways to Say: Fix it early, Don’t delay
26. Borrowed time
Meaning: Living or operating after the expected time has passed.
In a Sentence: That old laptop is working on borrowed time—it could crash any minute.
Other Ways to Say: Running out of time, Living past the limit
27. A matter of time
Meaning: Something is sure to happen, it’s only a question of when.
In a Sentence: It’s only a matter of time before she becomes a famous artist.
Other Ways to Say: Bound to happen, Inevitable
28. The sands of time
Meaning: The passage of time, often used in a poetic or reflective way.
In a Sentence: Watching my kids grow makes me feel the sands of time slipping away.
Other Ways to Say: Time slipping by, Time passing
29. Turn back the clock
Meaning: To return to an earlier time in life or history.
In a Sentence: I wish I could turn back the clock and enjoy those childhood days again.
Other Ways to Say: Go back in time, Relive the past
30. Clock is ticking
Meaning: Time is running out or passing quickly.
In a Sentence: The clock is ticking, and we haven’t even started packing yet!
Other Ways to Say: Hurry up, Not much time left
31. Living on borrowed time
Meaning: Being in a risky situation where something bad might happen soon.
In a Sentence: The old bridge is living on borrowed time—it needs repairs badly.
Other Ways to Say: At risk, May not last long
32. In the long run
Meaning: Over a long period of time.
In a Sentence: Studying a little every day helps more in the long run than cramming the night before.
Other Ways to Say: Eventually, Over time
33. Like clockwork
Meaning: Something that happens regularly or predictably.
In a Sentence: My morning routine runs like clockwork—wake up, eat, and head to school.
Other Ways to Say: Very regularly, On schedule
34. From time to time
Meaning: Occasionally or every now and then.
In a Sentence: I visit my grandparents from time to time when I have a free weekend.
Other Ways to Say: Sometimes, Occasionally
35. Time drags on
Meaning: Time feels like it’s passing very slowly.
In a Sentence: The last period on Friday always drags on forever.
Other Ways to Say: Feels slow, Never-ending
36. Time stands still
Meaning: Everything feels frozen or paused, often during emotional moments.
In a Sentence: When I saw the beautiful view from the mountain, it felt like time stood still.
Other Ways to Say: Frozen in time, Pause in the moment
37. Make time
Meaning: To create time in a busy schedule for something important.
In a Sentence: I always try to make time for my family no matter how busy I get.
Other Ways to Say: Set aside time, Prioritize
38. Take time off
Meaning: To stop working temporarily for rest or other personal reasons.
In a Sentence: I’m going to take time off next week to relax and recharge.
Other Ways to Say: Take a break, Pause from work
39. Pass the time
Meaning: To spend time doing something while waiting or being idle.
In a Sentence: We played board games to pass the time during the power outage.
Other Ways to Say: Fill the time, Do something while waiting
40. A waste of time
Meaning: Something that does not use time effectively or has no value.
In a Sentence: That movie was a total waste of time—I didn’t enjoy it at all.
Other Ways to Say: Not worth it, Time spent badly
41. Take it one day at a time
Meaning: To deal with things gradually, without worrying too much about the future.
In a Sentence: After the accident, I’ve been trying to take life one day at a time.
Other Ways to Say: Go step by step, Handle things slowly
42. In due time
Meaning: Eventually, when the time is right.
In a Sentence: You’ll get your chance to shine in due time—just be patient.
Other Ways to Say: When the time comes, Soon enough
43. In the meantime
Meaning: During the time between now and a future event.
In a Sentence: Dinner will be ready in 30 minutes; in the meantime, help me set the table.
Other Ways to Say: For now, Until then
44. Turn the clock back
Meaning: To wish for or imagine returning to a time in the past.
In a Sentence: If I could turn the clock back, I’d spend more time with my grandparents.
Other Ways to Say: Go back in time, Rewind life
45. The time is ripe
Meaning: Now is the perfect time to do something.
In a Sentence: The time is ripe to launch your own business—you’ve got everything you need.
Other Ways to Say: Perfect moment, Right timing
46. Against the clock
Meaning: Working with a time limit and under pressure.
In a Sentence: We were working against the clock to finish decorating before the guests arrived.
Other Ways to Say: In a rush, Racing the deadline
47. Buy some time
Meaning: To delay something so you can get more time to prepare.
In a Sentence: I asked the teacher a question to buy some time before presenting.
Other Ways to Say: Stall, Delay intentionally
48. Have time on your hands
Meaning: To have extra or free time.
In a Sentence: During summer vacation, I had so much time on my hands that I learned to bake.
Other Ways to Say: Free time, Nothing urgent
49. Time after time
Meaning: Repeatedly or again and again.
In a Sentence: He warned me time after time not to forget my homework, but I still did.
Other Ways to Say: Over and over, Many times
50. Lose track of time
Meaning: To become unaware of how much time has passed.
In a Sentence: I was so caught up in the book that I completely lost track of time.
Other Ways to Say: Forget the time, Get carried away
Exercise to Practice
Fill in the blanks with the correct time idiom:
- I was so into the game that I totally _______ of time.
- She always finishes her assignments before the deadline—she loves to _______ the clock.
- We submitted our project _______ the eleventh hour, just before the portal closed.
- He fixed the leak early, knowing that _______ in time saves nine.
- My cat naps all day like _______ stands still.
- I wasn’t rushing; I wanted to _______ my time with the painting.
- He’s so busy these days that he barely has _______ on his hands.
- They say _______ flies when you’re having fun, and today was proof!
- We were running _______ the clock to finish the decorations before the guests arrived.
- She’s always late—it’s like she’s stuck _______ the times.
Answers:
lost track, beat, at, a stitch, time, take, time, time, against, behind
Conclusion
Idioms about time are not only fun to learn, but they also help us talk about our daily lives in more creative, expressive ways. Whether you’re talking about how fast the weekend went or explaining how long something took, time idioms can make your language more colorful and relatable.
The more you practice using these phrases, the more naturally they’ll become part of your conversations. Try using one or two idioms in your next chat or writing assignment. Before you know it, you’ll be expressing time like a pro—without even looking at the clock!
