Against the clock means working as fast as you can to meet a tight deadline. The crew worked against the clock to fix the lights before the show. In sport it also means timed: cyclists ride against the clock, competing with a stopwatch. A close synonym is a race against time.
When would you say against the clock?
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work / race against the clock; a race against time
- The stage crew worked against the clock to repair the lights before the show.
- In the final round, each cyclist rode against the clock.
- We were racing against the clock to get the shelter ready before the storm.
What changed
First versionThe team worked against clock to finish before six.
RevisionThe team worked against the clock to finish before six.
In a race against time there's no article before time, so against clock looks like the same pattern. But clock needs the: against the clock. That's exactly why the two get mixed up. The was added.
Quickly just means fast. Against the clock means fast because a deadline is close. Down to the wire is about everything being decided at the end: you can work against the clock all day and finish early, or the job can go down to the wire.
Your turn
Complete the idiom about a tight deadline: We are racing against ___ clock.
Show the answer
the — With clock, the idiom needs the: racing against the clock. Only time goes without an article: a race against time.
Write about a time when you had to finish something before a tight deadline.
The volunteers worked against the clock to set up the stalls before the market opened.
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