Sentence:  Judge Randall Thomas dropped a dozen theft charges against Hunt . . ., ruling that the indictment came after a three-year state statute of limitations had run out. One ethics charge—punishable by up to $10,000 and 10 years behind bars—did <WSD>beat the clock</WSD>. 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  To be used or become operational before a deadline or date of expiration.