When we say something happened “in the nick of time”, it means that it occurred at the last possible moment, just before it’s too late. It’s similar to saying “just in time” or “at the eleventh hour”.
Here are two examples in sentences:
Example 1:
The fire department arrived “in the nick of time” before the entire building was engulfed in flames.
Example 2:
She turned in her assignment “in the nick of time” before the deadline.
And, here are examples in a conversation:
Example 3:
Alice: I thought we were going to miss our flight!
Bob: Yes, but we made it to the gate “in the nick of time”.
Example 4:
Tom: I heard you had a flat tire this morning.
Jerry: Yes, but I managed to change it and get to my job interview “in the nick of time”.
So, when we say something happened “in the nick of time”, we are saying that it happened at the very last moment possible, often avoiding some negative outcome.
