high noon
Sun directly overhead
High noon is exactly twelve o'clock midday, when the sun reaches its highest point.
The phrase emphasizes precision and punctuality: We'll meet at high noon.
It also evokes dramatic confrontation, largely thanks to the 1952 Western film—a showdown at high noon suggests a decisive moment of reckoning.
The two rivals faced off at high noon.
Prearranged one-on-one combat
- standoffUnresolved confrontation between opponents
- gunfightArmed combat with firearms
- quickdrawRapid weapon retrieval
- showdownDecisive final confrontation
confrontation · face-off · sheriff · outlaw · western · cowboy · pistols · holster
Twelve hours after midnight
- twelve o'clockNoon or midnight
- meridianPole-to-pole great circle
- zenithPoint straight overhead
- lunchtimeNoon eating period
siesta · sundial · midday sun
duel
Prearranged one-on-one combat
- standoffUnresolved confrontation between opponents
- gunfightArmed combat with firearms
- quickdrawRapid weapon retrieval
showdown · confrontation · face-off · sheriff · outlaw · western · cowboy · pistols · holster · six-shooter
midday
Twelve hours after midnight
- twelve o'clockNoon or midnight
- meridianPole-to-pole great circle
- zenithPoint straight overhead
lunchtime · siesta · sundial · midday sun
- Old Westcowboy, cowboys, cowgirl, sheriff, sheriffs
- Westernscowboys, western, outlaws, sheriffs, western novels
- Wild Westcowboy, howdy, sheriff, giddyup, lawmen
- daypartsdawn, sunrise, morning, forenoon, midmorning
- High Stakesdo-or-die, do or die, make-or-break, make or break, life or death
- Timesmorning, evening, night, midnight, dawn
high noonmidnight
Twelve o'clock at night
dead of night · middle of the night · pitch black · small hours · witching hour
high noonpostponement
Delaying to later
deferral · evasion · backing down · avoidance · retreat
high noondead of night
Darkest part of evening
cloak and dagger · ambush · stealth · retreat · evasion
high, height, noon, highly, higher, highest, heighten, afternoon, highs