time to quit; time to withdraw; time to retire; time to leave
Refers to the right moment to stop, pull out, leave, or retire before things get worse or after one's role is complete. Common in phrases such as 引き時を見極める and 今が引き時だ.
The time to quit is while you're still winning.
He began thinking about when to retire as an athlete.
You need to recognize the time to pull out before the losses spread.
It's hard to judge the right time to pull out of an investment.
I think now is the time to quit this job.
He missed his chance to pull out and suffered a big loss.
退き際 focuses on the manner or moment of actually withdrawing (e.g. doing it gracefully), whereas 引き時 focuses on judging when that moment has arrived.
Standard attested spelling and the high-priority form.
Attested variant without okurigana; 引き時 is generally clearer for learners.
Rare kanji form; the spelling emphasizes withdrawing or stepping back.
A compound of 引く in the sense of pulling back or withdrawing and 時 meaning time. The reading とき becomes どき through common compound voicing.