1.
running out of time; time-up; expiry of the time limit
The state of having used up the allotted time before finishing. Used of games, exams, negotiations, and meetings, often with the implication that the matter was left unresolved.
時間 (time) + 切れ (running out), from 切れる. The 切れ element voices to ぎれ in the compound, as in 期限切れ (expired) and 品切れ (sold out).
Common collocations
- 時間切れになる: to run out of time
- 時間切れで終わる: to end because time ran out
- 時間切れ寸前: right on the edge of running out of time
Usage
Often used figuratively of negotiations or political decisions that fail simply because a deadline arrives, implying that one side may have stalled deliberately: 時間切れ狙い (playing for time).