nick of time
Meaning
The last possible moment—just before it would be too late.
Origin
Recorded from at least the 1600s. "Nick" meant a small notch or mark (a precise point), so "the nick of time" came to mean the exact, critical moment just before a deadline or danger.
Notes
Most often used as "in the nick of time" to stress you arrived/finished just before it became too late; implies narrow margin and relief.
Examples
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I got to the station in the nick of time and caught the last train.
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The firefighter arrived in the nick of time to pull the child from the smoke.
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She finished the report in the nick of time, just before the deadline.
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We found an open hotel room in the nick of time after driving for hours.
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He apologized in the nick of time, before the argument got any worse.
Grammar & Usage Notes
Typically fixed as "in the nick of time". Used adverbially (e.g., "We arrived in the nick of time"). Rare without "in"; sometimes with modifiers like "just in the nick of time."
Synonyms
- just in time
- at the last moment
- at the eleventh hour
Antonyms
- too late
- after the fact