last minute

Other forms: last minutes

Things that happen at the last minute occur just in the nick of time. If you wait until the last minute to study for your history quiz, you’ll be frantically memorizing names and dates right before the test begins.

Other terms for the last minute include “the eleventh hour” or “under the wire.” Doing something at the last minute means waiting until the latest possible moment before taking care of it, whether you’re calling a friend for a ride to school at the last minute (risking both of you being late), filing your taxes at the last minute after putting it off for months, or choosing a candidate at the last minute, moments before you vote.