come to time
To maintain an appointment; to meet expectations.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“You must come to time for our meeting tomorrow.”
“She always comes to time when her friends need help with their homework.”
“The project deadline is approaching, so everyone needs to come to time with their final reports.”
“The new chef struggled at first, but he eventually started to come to time during the busy dinner service every night.”
“After several warnings from his manager, the employee finally began to come to time with his daily sales targets.”
“If the contractor fails to come to time with the promised materials, the entire construction project will face significant delays.”
The expression originates in the history of prizefighting. It refers to the requirement that a boxer, having been knocked down or otherwise halted, must return to the centre of the ring to resume the contest when the interval has expired. A fighter who failed to appear at the appropriate moment was deemed to have forfeited the match, while those who managed to stand and present themselves were said to have come to time.
- 01
a week is a long time in politics
In politics, much change can occur in a short space of time.
- 02
about time
Far past the desired time.
- 03
any time now
Very soon.
- 04
any time soon
soon
- 05
appetite comes with eating
Starting an activity increases one's desire to continue it.
- 06
as they come
As it is possible to be.
- 07
better luck next time
Used to wish somebody hope in future success after a failure.
- 08
bide one's time
To wait, especially for a suitable opportunity.
Last updated August 10, 2026