idiom · neutral
at the eleventh hour
UK/ət ði ɪˈlɛvənθ ˈaʊə/US/ət ði ɪˈlɛvənθ ˈaʊər/at the e·LEV·enth HOUR
at the last possible moment before a deadline
Examples
“They changed the itinerary at the eleventh hour, just before departing.”
“The charity received the donation at the eleventh hour and avoided bankruptcy.”
“Plans were revised at the eleventh hour after the sponsor pulled out.”
Band 8 sentence
“Policy-makers often make concessions at the eleventh hour, when parliamentary deadlines loom.”
Collocations
- do something at the eleventh hour
Word family
Common mistakes
They finish the project at the eleven hour.→They finished the project at the eleventh hour.
She did it the eleventh hour.→She did it at the eleventh hour.
Say it for a higher band
5last minute→6just in time→7+at the eleventh hour
Synonyms
just in time
Easily confused
just in time
“He arrived just in time to catch the start of the lecture.”
Related words
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In Time
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