# come to time

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/come-to-time
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To maintain an appointment; to meet expectations.

## Examples

- 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.

## Origin

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.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.