The critical period when maximum effort and focus are required to meet a deadline or achieve an important goal under time pressure.
Emerged from American sports terminology in the 1970s, particularly basketball, referring to the crucial final minutes of a close game. The term expanded into business and general usage by the 1980s-90s to describe any high-pressure, time-sensitive situation.
Athletes originally used 'crunch time' because they could literally hear the crowd's tension - the 'crunch' of thousands of people shifting nervously in their seats. This auditory origin makes it unique among time-pressure phrases, connecting physical sound to psychological pressure.
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