race (redirected from racing)

a one-horse race

a competition which one particular person or team is very likely to win because they seem much better than the other people competing. This election has been a one-horse race right from the start.

See also: one-horse

race against the clock

in sport, if people race against the clock, they try to race faster than a particular time instead of racing against other people. In time trials, cyclists race against the clock.

See also: against, clock

a race against time/the clock

an attempt to do something very quickly because there is only a short time in which it can be done. It's a race against time to get the building finished before the rainy season sets in.

See also: against, clock, time

race against time/the clock

a race against time/the clock - an attempt to do something very quickly because there is only a short time in which it can be done. Rescuers were racing against time last night to reach the four divers, trapped 200 feet down on the seabed.

See also: against, clock, time

a rat race

an unpleasant way in which people compete against each other at work in order to succeed. I'd love to get out of the rat race and buy a house in some remote part of the countryside.

See also: rat

---

off to the races

busy doing something. I don't think there will be a dramatic change in the economy — I don't see that we're off to the races. If you make changes in the rules, the tax lawyers will be off to the races again.

a race against the clock

a race against time

See also: against, clock

a race against time

an attempt to do something when there is little time to do it. It was a race against time as staff members tried to keep the struggling company open.

Usage notes: sometimes used as a verb phrase: The villagers raced against time to protect their town against the flood.

See also: against, time