To hurry to complete something before a deadline or before it becomes too late.
This phrase emerged in the early 20th century, combining the concept of racing (competing for speed) with the personification of time as an opponent. The metaphor treats time as a competitor that one must outrun to achieve success.
The phrase brilliantly captures the human experience of feeling pursued by an invisible force. Interestingly, while we say we're racing 'against' time, we're actually racing 'with' time as our medium - we can only move forward through it, never backward or sideways.
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