Idioms & SlangIntermediate
Time-box
PronunciationTYM-boks
Definition
To allocate a fixed, maximum amount of time for a specific task to prevent over-engineering and endless discussions.
Where you hear it
In planning sessions, agile meetings, and when managing project scope.
Examples
We will time-box this architectural discussion to thirty minutes so we can move on to other tasks.
Let us time-box the research phase of this feature to two days.
Common mistake
Treating a time-box as a strict target or goal instead of a hard limit where you must stop and make a decision.