moment of truth

moment of truth

The moment or point at which some critical and decisive event, action, or test will occur. It's the moment of truth—this letter will tell me whether I got into my dream school or not. We've been working on a prototype of this device for months. Now comes the moment of truth, when we test it in a real-world environment. As we've seen, polls can be misleading, so the real moment of truth will come when the votes are tallied.
See also: moment, of, truth
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

moment of truth

Fig. the point at which someone has to face the reality of a situation. The moment of truth is here. Turn over your exam papers and begin. Now for the moment of truth when we find out whether we have got planning permission or not.
See also: moment, of, truth
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.

moment of truth

A critical or decisive time, at which one is put to the ultimate test, as in Now that all the bills are in, we've come to the moment of truth-can we afford to live here or not? This expression, a translation of the Spanish el momento de la verdad, signifies the point in a bullfight when the matador makes the kill. It was first used in English in Ernest Hemingway's story Death in the Afternoon (1932).
See also: moment, of, truth
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.

the moment of truth

COMMON The moment of truth is the time when you learn the true facts of a situation or make an important decision. I got onto the bathroom scales. Now came the moment of truth. That was the moment of truth for me. I either walked through that door then or I never walked through it.
See also: moment, of, truth
Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed.

moment of truth

a crisis; a turning point when a decision has to be made or a crisis faced.
This expression is a translation of the Spanish el momento de la verdad , which refers to the final sword thrust in a bullfight.
See also: moment, of, truth
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary

the ˌmoment of ˈtruth

a time when somebody/something is tested, or when important decisions are made: He asked her if she still loved him. It was a moment of truth. Right, now for the moment of truth. Switch it on and see if it works!
See also: moment, of, truth
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary

moment of truth, the

The critical instant, at which one is put to the ultimate test. The term is a translation of the Spanish el momento de la verdad, which signifies the time in a bullfight in which the matador is about to kill the bull. It was first described in English by Ernest Hemingway in his story Death in the Afternoon, and subsequently was transferred to other critical outcomes. The final calculation in making out one’s income tax return, for example, could be described as one’s moment of truth.
See also: moment, of
The Dictionary of Clichés by Christine Ammer

moment of truth

A crucial test. Unless a matador is injured or loses his nerve before the end of a bullfight, the climax comes when he reaches over the horns to plunge his sword behind the animal's neck. The matador is then at his most vulnerable, since the bull need only raise its head to gore the man. This “moment of truth” when a matador reveals whether he has sufficient courage is a literal translation of the Spanish phrase for that point in time. By extension, any situation in which a person is called on to show “the right stuff ” can be called the moment of truth.
See also: moment, of, truth
Endangered Phrases by Steven D. Price
See also:
  • moment of truth, the
  • the moment of truth
  • just now
  • the moment (that)
  • at this moment
  • not a moment to spare
  • not a moment too soon
  • without a moment to spare
  • at the moment
  • for the moment
References in periodicals archive
'Ladies and gentlemen, indeed the moment of truth has arrived, as we seek to expose the veritable temple of broken promises and deceit, which is the main thing the NPP government has delivered so far,' Gordon's post asserted.
Moment of truth? NDC READS JOURNALIST'S FACEBOOK POST
I need a Local Moment of Truth--a fast, local resolution to my need-not a Zero version or a First Moment of Truth, where I'm deciding between options.
Capitalizing on the local marketing advantage: change always equals opportunity and with the right moves, local marketers can be well positioned to make the most of it
PC delivery and setup is the next critical moment of truth. Aside from making setup easy and intuitive, are there ways that you can reach out to customers?
How to use customer Lifecycle analysis to build loyalty
The extremist ruling group in Israel is most worried by Washington's tasking two people who are closest to the Jewish state, Vice President Joe Biden and White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emmanuel, with asking Israel, at the AIPAC conference, to halt settlements and accept a two-state solutionC* and inform it that it and the Palestinians are facing the "moment of truth."
Between the Extremes of Negotiation and Confrontation
"The coming weeks represent the moment of truth for the Doha round," he said.
Doha world trade deal faces 'moment of truth'
After the funeral, Hannan said: "I talked about Peter's racing career, recalling Dizzy and Moment Of Truth, who won an absolute fortune for him and Jim Glass when he won the Northumberland Gold Cup.
Moving applause for 'irreplaceable' son of Scotland Peter Monteith
And how does The Moment of Truth show respect for the personality, reputation and private life of the people of low intellect it invites to the show and humiliates them in this savage way?
The quality of Greek television says a lot about Cyprus
MOMENT OF TRUTH: Michael Schumacher unveils himself as the Stig
Stig unmasked
THE moment of truth arrives for Walsall trialists Patrick Suffo and Chris Palmer when they face Wolves at the Banks's Stadium tonight (7.45pm).
Trialists' D-day
FOOTBALL: Arsene Wenger accepts Arsenal's campaign is about to face the "moment of truth".
Football: Make or break
Wenger said: "The period that comes up now for us is the moment of truth. "We must not hide.
Football: Arsenal facing 'moment of truth' FULHAM V ARSENAL TONIGHT, 7.45PM
This, then, is the moment of truth for Wagoner: Can he join the ranks of auto execs who turn around their companies, or will he preside over a sinking ship?
Rick Wagoner: too much Mr. Nice Guy; GM's recent shake-up means it's make-or-break time
Sooner or later, smokers are going to have to give up the evil weed and dubious arguments about freedom are only designed to put off the moment of truth. - S.
Mail Box: Smoked out
But the moment of truth for the famous dieters has finally arrived and they prepare themselves for the last weigh- in as they clamber onto the scales of truth one last time.
Telly: Moment of truth for the fighters against the flab