Time is something we all think about every day—whether we’re rushing to school, waiting for the weekend, or counting down to our next big event. That’s why idioms about time are so fun and useful! They help us talk about schedules, delays, plans, and even feelings using colorful expressions that don’t always mean exactly what the words say.
These idioms are great for both kids and adults because they show up in conversations, books, movies, and more. From being in a “race against time” to “having all the time in the world,” time idioms can make our language more creative and fun to understand. And guess what? Learning these can also help you sound more natural when speaking English, especially if you’re trying to improve your communication skills.
In this post, we’ll explore 50 of the most common and fun idioms about time, along with their meanings, how to use them in a sentence, and a few simpler ways to say the same thing. You’ll also find a cool exercise at the end to test what you’ve learned. Ready? Let’s make time for idioms!
Idioms for Time
1. Time flies
Meaning: Time passes very quickly.
In a Sentence: Time flies when you’re having fun with your friends on a weekend trip.
Other Ways to Say: Time goes fast, It passed quickly
2. Beat the clock
Meaning: To finish something before a deadline.
In a Sentence: We had to beat the clock to submit our science project before the bell rang.
Other Ways to Say: Finish on time, Make the deadline
3. Around the clock
Meaning: All day and all night without stopping.
In a Sentence: The rescue team worked around the clock to find the missing hikers.
Other Ways to Say: Non-stop, All the time
4. Call it a day
Meaning: To stop working for the day.
In a Sentence: After five hours of homework, I decided to call it a day and relax.
Other Ways to Say: Stop for now, Wrap it up
5. Behind the times
Meaning: Not modern or up-to-date.
In a Sentence: My uncle still uses a flip phone—he’s really behind the times.
Other Ways to Say: Old-fashioned, Outdated
6. In the nick of time
Meaning: Just in time; barely on time.
In a Sentence: I arrived at the train station in the nick of time, right before the doors closed.
Other Ways to Say: Just made it, Barely on time
7. Kill time
Meaning: To do something to pass the time while waiting.
In a Sentence: I played a game on my phone to kill time while waiting for the dentist.
Other Ways to Say: Pass time, Stay busy
8. On the dot
Meaning: Exactly on time.
In a Sentence: The movie started at 7 p.m. on the dot, not a minute late.
Other Ways to Say: Right on time, Exactly
9. Once in a blue moon
Meaning: Something that happens very rarely.
In a Sentence: We go on a big family vacation once in a blue moon, but it’s always special.
Other Ways to Say: Very rarely, Almost never
10. Against the clock
Meaning: Rushing to finish something before a deadline.
In a Sentence: The team was working against the clock to get the presentation done by morning.
Other Ways to Say: In a hurry, Under pressure
11. At the eleventh hour
Meaning: At the last possible moment.
In a Sentence: She turned in her assignment at the eleventh hour, just before the deadline.
Other Ways to Say: Last minute, Just in time
12. Bide your time
Meaning: To wait patiently for the right moment.
In a Sentence: He’s just biding his time until the perfect opportunity comes along.
Other Ways to Say: Wait patiently, Hold off
13. In due time
Meaning: At the right or expected time.
In a Sentence: You’ll get your results in due time, so try not to worry.
Other Ways to Say: Eventually, At the proper time
14. Make time
Meaning: To find time in a busy schedule.
In a Sentence: Even with a packed calendar, I always make time to see my grandparents.
Other Ways to Say: Set aside time, Prioritize
15. Out of time
Meaning: No time left to finish something.
In a Sentence: I was out of time and couldn’t finish the last question on the test.
Other Ways to Say: Time’s up, Too late
16. A matter of time
Meaning: Something certain to happen, just waiting for when.
In a Sentence: It’s only a matter of time before she becomes a famous artist.
Other Ways to Say: Bound to happen, Just waiting
17. All in good time
Meaning: Be patient; things will happen when they should.
In a Sentence: Don’t rush success—it will come all in good time.
Other Ways to Say: Be patient, It’ll happen
18. Time after time
Meaning: Repeatedly or many times.
In a Sentence: Time after time, he proved he was trustworthy.
Other Ways to Say: Again and again, Repeatedly
19. Time is money
Meaning: Time is valuable, so don’t waste it.
In a Sentence: Let’s not waste time chatting—time is money!
Other Ways to Say: Be productive, Time is valuable
20. Borrowed time
Meaning: Extra time beyond what was expected.
In a Sentence: After his surgery, he felt like he was living on borrowed time.
Other Ways to Say: Extra time, Temporary
21. Third time’s the charm
Meaning: You’ll succeed after trying multiple times.
In a Sentence: I failed the test twice, but the third time’s the charm—I passed!
Other Ways to Say: Success after failure, Keep trying
22. Big time
Meaning: To a great degree; very successful or extreme.
In a Sentence: She messed up big time by forgetting her lines during the play.
Other Ways to Say: Majorly, Seriously
23. Crunch time
Meaning: A period of intense pressure to meet a deadline.
In a Sentence: It’s crunch time—we need to finish this project by midnight!
Other Ways to Say: Final push, Deadline stress
24. Ahead of time
Meaning: Before the expected time.
In a Sentence: I finished my homework ahead of time so I could go to the party.
Other Ways to Say: Early, In advance
25. Time will tell
Meaning: Only time can show the outcome.
In a Sentence: Time will tell if our hard work was worth it.
Other Ways to Say: We’ll see, Wait and see
26. In no time
Meaning: Very quickly.
In a Sentence: We cleaned up the room in no time thanks to teamwork.
Other Ways to Say: Very fast, Quickly
27. About time
Meaning: Finally happening after a delay.
In a Sentence: It’s about time you cleaned your room—it was a mess!
Other Ways to Say: Finally, Took long enough
28. Have the time of your life
Meaning: To enjoy something a lot.
In a Sentence: I had the time of my life at the amusement park last weekend.
Other Ways to Say: Had a blast, Great fun
29. Behind schedule
Meaning: Running late or not on time.
In a Sentence: We’re behind schedule, so we need to speed things up.
Other Ways to Say: Delayed, Running late
30. Time is up
Meaning: The allowed time has ended.
In a Sentence: Time is up—please put down your pencils.
Other Ways to Say: Time over, Stop now
31. A stitch in time saves nine
Meaning: Fixing a small problem early prevents bigger issues later.
In a Sentence: Fixing the leak now is smart—a stitch in time saves nine.
Other Ways to Say: Fix it early, Prevent bigger trouble
32. Have time on your hands
Meaning: To have extra free time.
In a Sentence: I had time on my hands, so I learned to play guitar.
Other Ways to Say: Free time, Nothing to do
33. Lose track of time
Meaning: To forget the time while doing something.
In a Sentence: I was so into the book, I completely lost track of time.
Other Ways to Say: Forget time, Didn’t notice the time
34. Make up for lost time
Meaning: To do something quickly because you started late.
In a Sentence: We left late, so we drove fast to make up for lost time.
Other Ways to Say: Catch up, Hurry
35. Take your time
Meaning: Don’t rush; go at your own pace.
In a Sentence: There’s no rush—just take your time with the test.
Other Ways to Say: No hurry, Go slow
36. Live on borrowed time
Meaning: To live longer than expected.
In a Sentence: After his recovery, he felt like he was living on borrowed time.
Other Ways to Say: Extra time, Unexpected survival
37. At a moment’s notice
Meaning: Very quickly, with little warning.
In a Sentence: She’s always ready to help at a moment’s notice.
Other Ways to Say: Instantly, Right away
38. Time’s a-wasting
Meaning: Time is being wasted.
In a Sentence: Come on, let’s go—time’s a-wasting!
Other Ways to Say: Don’t waste time, Hurry up
39. In the blink of an eye
Meaning: Very quickly.
In a Sentence: The summer vacation was over in the blink of an eye.
Other Ways to Say: So fast, Instantly
40. Take it one day at a time
Meaning: Deal with things slowly, day by day.
In a Sentence: After the surgery, she took it one day at a time to recover.
Other Ways to Say: Step by step, Slowly
41. On borrowed time
Meaning: Near the end of something, living past a deadline or limit.
In a Sentence: That old laptop is working on borrowed time.
Other Ways to Say: Nearly done, Won’t last long
42. Time waits for no one
Meaning: Time keeps going, no matter what.
In a Sentence: You should start now—time waits for no one.
Other Ways to Say: Don’t delay, Time moves on
43. Buy time
Meaning: To delay something.
In a Sentence: I asked a silly question to buy time before my presentation.
Other Ways to Say: Stall, Delay
44. All the time in the world
Meaning: Plenty of time to do something.
In a Sentence: On vacation, we had all the time in the world to relax.
Other Ways to Say: No rush, Lots of time
45. No time like the present
Meaning: The best time to do something is now.
In a Sentence: If you want to start writing, there’s no time like the present.
Other Ways to Say: Do it now, Don’t wait
46. Like clockwork
Meaning: Happening smoothly and regularly.
In a Sentence: The morning routine went like clockwork today.
Other Ways to Say: Very smoothly, Predictably
47. Race against time
Meaning: To hurry before time runs out.
In a Sentence: We were in a race against time to finish the puzzle before the party.
Other Ways to Say: Rushing, Beat the clock
48. Time out
Meaning: A short break from something.
In a Sentence: I needed a quick time out after all that running.
Other Ways to Say: Break, Rest
49. Just in time
Meaning: Exactly when needed.
In a Sentence: He got to the airport just in time to catch his flight.
Other Ways to Say: Perfect timing, Right on time
50. A long time coming
Meaning: Something delayed for a long time.
In a Sentence: Their graduation was a long time coming, but it was worth the wait.
Other Ways to Say: Took a while, Finally happened
Exercise to Practice
Fill in the blanks with the correct time idioms:
- We were working _______ the clock to meet the deadline.
- The baby arrived at the hospital just _______ of time.
- Let’s take a break now and _______ it a day.
- I haven’t seen my cousin in years—it’s been _______ a blue moon!
- We need to _______ up for lost time and catch that bus.
- After cleaning nonstop, we were finished in _______ time.
- The meeting started at 3 p.m. _______ the dot.
- That joke was _______ time—it made me laugh all day!
- Don’t waste time deciding—there’s _______ like the present.
- You should fix that leak now—a _______ in time saves nine.
Answers:
against, in the nick, call, once in, make, no, on, big, no time, stitch
Conclusion
Idioms about time make everyday conversations more exciting and expressive. Whether you’re trying to say you’re running late, taking your time, or finally getting something done, these phrases add color and clarity to your speech. Start using these time idioms in your daily chats, schoolwork, and stories—they’ll help you sound more natural and confident. The more you use them, the more they’ll become second nature. Remember, there’s no time like the present to learn something new!
