momentarily

mo·men·tar·i·ly | \ ˌmō-mən-ˈter-ə-lē

How to pronounce momentarily (audio)

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Definition of momentarily

1 : for a moment

2 archaic : instantly

3 : at any moment : in a moment

Synonyms Example Sentences Learn More about momentarily

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Examples of momentarily in a Sentence

The wind let up momentarily, allowing us to start a campfire. He paused momentarily before finishing his speech. We expect them to arrive momentarily.

Recent Examples on the Web Louisville Courier Journal Has your work-from-home routine been momentarily interrupted by a parade of honking cars with balloons and streamers? — Lucas Aulbach, The Courier-Journal, "Teacher 'wave parades,' a growing national trend, take to streets in Louisville," 25 Mar. 2020 While Klobuchar attacks Buttigieg on his lack of experience, and Buttigieg attacks Klobuchar on things like momentarily forgetting the name of the President of Mexico, their feud as the two conservative Dem frontrunners continues to heat up. — Elly Belle, refinery29.com, "All Of Pete Buttigieg & Amy Klobuchar’s Most Heated Debates (So Far)," 25 Feb. 2020 Although momentarily flustered, you—and your thoughts—return to the same wandering pattern a minute or two later. — Simon Makin, Scientific American, "Constant Shifts between Mental States Mark a Signature of Consciousness," 12 Mar. 2020 Little tried to perform a special maneuver to stop Ward's car, but Ward stopped only momentarily, and the chase resumed, according to police. — Eliott C. Mclaughlin And Stella Chan, CNN, "California deputy on leave after violently removing carjacking victim from vehicle, sheriff says," 23 Dec. 2019 On Tuesday night Price got momentarily excited when the count showed Price leading by one vote. — Jerry Fallstrom, orlandosentinel.com, "Recount confirms 5-vote victory for Tavares Mayor Troy Singer," 8 Nov. 2019 Black-box data show that as the plane started to enter the cloud after the second go-around, the flight crew briefly pushed the controls forward so that its rate of climb decreased, as if the pilots were momentarily disoriented. — Jeff Wise, Popular Mechanics, "An Illusion Made FlyDubai Pilots Crash Their Plane Into the Ground," 25 Apr. 2016 The pop star, looking momentarily shocked, got right back up with a grin. — Cydney Henderson, USA TODAY, "Oprah Winfrey falls down at wellness tour while talking about 'balance;' loses shoes," 1 Mar. 2020 In a still shot of the deer, it can be seen jumping over the meat counter, appearing to momentarily get stuck. — Alexandra Deabler, Fox News, "Kroger shoppers in Indiana film deer running through aisles, jumping meat counter," 18 Feb. 2020

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'momentarily.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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moment by moment

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Last Updated

31 Mar 2020

Cite this Entry

“Momentarily.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/momentarily. Accessed 8 Apr. 2020.

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