spur-of-the-moment
adjective
spur-of-the-mo·ment
ˈspər-ə(v)-ṯẖə-ˈmō-mənt 
: occurring or developing without premeditation : hastily extemporized
a spur-of-the-moment decision
Synonyms
Examples of spur-of-the-moment in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
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Making Critical Decisions
A crisp decision like this one was no accident or even spur-of-the-moment good fortune.
—
Eli Amdur, Forbes, 27 Mar. 2024
Ask & Go: A pocket-sized conversationalist for those spur-of-the-moment chats across languages.
—William Mullane, USA TODAY, 16 Mar. 2024
Gemini: May 21 – June 20 Geminis tend to be the most relaxed sign in the Zodiac, and can handle pretty much anything with ease: trip cancellations, last-minute plans, or a spur-of-the-moment adventure.
—Michaela Trimble, Vogue, 13 Mar. 2024
There's an odd lack of balance underpinning this last season: Three hours spent on the build-up to the showdown with the Night King, but Daenerys decides to annihilate King's Landing on what feels like a spur-of-the-moment decision.
—Darren Franich, EW.com, 29 Feb. 2024
What began as a spur-of-the-moment idea among six of his supporters to dress up as carrots has turned into a traveling fan club, featuring at all four Slams now since a trip to Australia this month.
—John Pye, USA TODAY, 27 Jan. 2024
There’s bad news for fans hoping to catch that parade on the spur-of-the-moment.
—Chris Morris, Fortune, 12 Feb. 2024
In a spur-of-the-moment decision, Biden tried to debunk concerns over his age and ability — and promptly confirmed our worst fears about what is happening inside the White House.
—Matthew Continetti, National Review, 10 Feb. 2024
Otherwise, that’s impossible for spur-of-the-moment snaps.
—Ewan Spence, Forbes, 9 Feb. 2024
Eli Amdur, Forbes, 27 Mar. 2024
Ask & Go: A pocket-sized conversationalist for those spur-of-the-moment chats across languages.
—William Mullane, USA TODAY, 16 Mar. 2024
Gemini: May 21 – June 20 Geminis tend to be the most relaxed sign in the Zodiac, and can handle pretty much anything with ease: trip cancellations, last-minute plans, or a spur-of-the-moment adventure.
—Michaela Trimble, Vogue, 13 Mar. 2024
There's an odd lack of balance underpinning this last season: Three hours spent on the build-up to the showdown with the Night King, but Daenerys decides to annihilate King's Landing on what feels like a spur-of-the-moment decision.
—Darren Franich, EW.com, 29 Feb. 2024
What began as a spur-of-the-moment idea among six of his supporters to dress up as carrots has turned into a traveling fan club, featuring at all four Slams now since a trip to Australia this month.
—John Pye, USA TODAY, 27 Jan. 2024
There’s bad news for fans hoping to catch that parade on the spur-of-the-moment.
—Chris Morris, Fortune, 12 Feb. 2024
In a spur-of-the-moment decision, Biden tried to debunk concerns over his age and ability — and promptly confirmed our worst fears about what is happening inside the White House.
—Matthew Continetti, National Review, 10 Feb. 2024
Otherwise, that’s impossible for spur-of-the-moment snaps.
—Ewan Spence, Forbes, 9 Feb. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'spur-of-the-moment.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1948, in the meaning defined above
Time Traveler
The first known use of spur-of-the-moment was
in 1948
Dictionary Entries Near spur-of-the-moment
Cite this Entry
“Spur-of-the-moment.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spur-of-the-moment. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
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Kids Definition
spur-of-the-moment
adjective
: made or done by the sudden making up of one's mind
a spur-of-the moment decision
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