run out of time

Meaning

This expression means to have no more time left to complete a task, meeting, or project. It is commonly used in professional settings when a deadline is reached before all work is finished, or when a meeting must end because the scheduled time is over.

Examples

• We need to wrap up this discussion because we are running out of time.

  We need to wrap up this discussion because we are running out of time.

• I wanted to show you the final slides, but we ran out of time.

  I wanted to show you the final slides, but we ran out of time.

• Make sure you prioritize the main points so we don't run out of time during the presentation.

  Make sure you prioritize the main points so we don't run out of time during the presentation.

• If we run out of time today, we can continue this conversation tomorrow morning.

  If we run out of time today, we can continue this conversation tomorrow morning.

• The team worked hard, but they eventually ran out of time to submit the proposal.

  The team worked hard, but they eventually ran out of time to submit the proposal.

Common Mistakes

• ✗ We lost our time during the meeting.

  ✓ We ran out of time during the meeting.

  Non-native speakers often translate literally from their native language using 'lose' instead of 'run out of'. 'Lose time' means to waste time or fall behind schedule, whereas 'run out of time' means there is zero time left.

• ✗ I ran out the time.

  ✓ I ran out of time.

  The preposition 'of' is mandatory in this phrasal construction. Without 'of', the phrase is grammatically incorrect in this context.

Related Expressions

Practice

• We had so many questions from the audience that we ___ to answer them all.

  💡 Use the past tense form of the verb.

  Show answer

  ran out of time

• Let's move to the next agenda item before we ___.

  💡 Use the present tense form.

  Show answer

  run out of time