on a dime

phrase

1

: in a very small area

These cars can turn on a dime.

2

: instantly

The cars can stop on a dime.

Examples of on a dime in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

No less slippery are his matinée-idol looks, which can turn wolfish or ratty on a dime, as if his beauty were moldering away from within. — Justin Chang, New Yorker, 25 Sep. 2026

Afternoon storms gather steam on a dime, scuttling picnic plans. — Sharmistha Jha, Literary Hub, 21 Aug. 2026

Trump frequently changes course on a dime and as all the elements for the Ulchi Freedom drills are in place, scaling them back may not amount to much on the ground. — Brad Lendon, CNN Money, 17 Aug. 2026

But then everything changed on a dime, and a manic Cubs season went off the rails again. — Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 7 Aug. 2026

Rhymes for on a dime

• aforetime
• allozyme
• anytime
• christmastime
• cybercrime
• dinnertime
• guggenheim
• isozyme
• lysozyme
• maritime
• mesenchyme
• overtime