at the drop of a hat

phrase

: as soon as the slightest provocation is given : immediately

loses her temper at the drop of a hat

Examples of at the drop of a hat in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Thanks to major leaps in the tech, these tools can now generate photorealistic fake footage at the drop of a hat — which could have devastating implications for efforts to keep disinformation at bay. — Victor Tangermann, Futurism, 6 Aug. 2026

As someone who sunburns at the drop of a hat (pun intended), I’m especially inspired by Lopez’s impressively oversized version, which managed to shade even her shoulders. — Jamie Allison Sanders, PEOPLE, 16 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1824, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for at the drop of a hat

• acrobat
• autocrat
• automat
• bundesrat
• bureaucrat
• butterfat
• caveat
• chemostat
• copycat
• cryostat
• democrat
• diplomat