You describe a situation as a race against time when you have to work very fast in order to do something before a particular time, or before another thing happens. A spokesperson said the rescue operation was a race against time.

What does it mean race against time?

: a situation in which something must happen or be done quickly because little time is available Divers pulling the 12 boys and their soccer coach from the cave were in a race against time, with the threat of rains making an already difficult rescue even more urgent.—

Is race against the clock an idiom?

A race against time (idiom)

A race against time (also a race against the clock / against time / against the clock): A situation where someone has to finish something quickly, in a short or limited amount of time. ... This idiom talks about people racing against time or racing against the clock.