Race against time

Meaning

The idiom "race against time" means to do something urgently or quickly because there is not much time left. It can also mean to act quickly or hurriedly to meet a deadline or avoid a negative outcome.

Usage

• The team is in a race against time to finish the project before the deadline.
• We need to hurry up and get the car back to the garage before it's too late.
• She was in a race against time to save her relationship.
• He had to act quickly before the opportunity passed him by.
• The city is in a race against time to build a new hospital.

Roots and History

The phrase "against time" dates back to ancient Greek literature, where it was used to describe actions that were undertaken to prevent something from happening or to accomplish a goal within a specific time frame. The idiom as we know it today has been in use since the 19th century.

Synonyms in English

• Hurry up!
• Run out of time!
• Be on time!
• Do something quickly!
• Go fast!

Synonyms in other languages

• Español - Correr contra el tiempo
• Deutsch - Rennen gegen die Zeit
• French - Courir contre le temps
• Italian - Correre contro il tempo
• Japanese - 時間を経る (jikan o kouru)

Similar Idioms

• raining cats and dogs

• rub the wrong way

• in the meantime