Against the clock
The idiom “against the clock” means to be in a situation where you have limited time to do something before a deadline. It implies a sense of urgency and pressure to complete a task quickly. The origin of this phrase comes from the idea of racing against time, like in a race where you are competing against the clock rather than other competitors. When someone is working against the clock, they are usually trying to finish something before time runs out. This could be a project, a task, or any activity that has a time constraint. People often use this idiom in situations where time is of the essence, and there is a need to work efficiently and quickly to meet a deadline.
For example, if a student has an assignment due at midnight and it’s already late afternoon, they might say they are working against the clock to complete it on time. Similarly, in sports, teams sometimes have to score a goal or make a play in the final seconds of a game, working against the clock to win.