1
as in instantaneous
done or occurring without any noticeable lapse in time
an instant response to the cry for help
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in urgent
needing immediate attention
an instant need for food supplies in the famine-stricken country
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in current
existing or in progress right now
we should be more concerned with instant dangers than with those in the far-off future
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in minute
a very small space of time
it all happened in an instant
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of instant
Lyssanoel Frater, USA Today, 29 Oct. 2025
Wear neutral clothes underneath, and use face paint or markers to draw a digital mouth or screen for an instant retro robot.
—Elizabeth Fogarty, Better Homes & Gardens, 28 Oct. 2025
Andrew McCarty, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Oct. 2025
Your posture, and the way his demeanor and stare changes in an instant.
—Hunter Ingram, Variety, 18 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for instant
Adjective
This can make a huge difference for tasks needing instant feedback.
—Lyssanoel Frater, USA Today, 29 Oct. 2025
Wear neutral clothes underneath, and use face paint or markers to draw a digital mouth or screen for an instant retro robot.
—Elizabeth Fogarty, Better Homes & Gardens, 28 Oct. 2025
Noun
Following the team's bye week, Colorado entered its contest against Utah headed in the right direction, but the momentum the team found just two weeks prior evaporated in an instant.
—Andrew McCarty, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Oct. 2025
Your posture, and the way his demeanor and stare changes in an instant.
—Hunter Ingram, Variety, 18 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for instant
Recent Examples of Synonyms for instant
Adjective
-
The effect was almost instantaneous, like turning a key in a lock.—
Sean Williams,
Outside,
27 Oct. 2025
-
Sea-Intelligence modeled the European import surge under different scenarios, ranging from an instantaneous switch back to the Suez by all shipping lines, to a more gradual phase-in over two, four or six weeks.—
Glenn Taylor,
Sourcing Journal,
24 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
The plot unfolds at the urgent but erratic pace of a life-altering business deal, as Bonitzer unfussily steers us through a series of small rooms as people scramble to determine the proper thing to do with Schiele’s painting.—
David Ehrlich,
IndieWire,
29 Oct. 2025
-
To Trump, of course, gutting the Civil Rights Act is likely to be a point of pride, enabling the government to focus on more urgent matters, such as protecting white students from the purportedly harmful effects of diversity-equity-and-inclusion programs.—
Eyal Press,
New Yorker,
29 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
And neither Mann nor Lockwood sees much value in the current, large-scale practice of releasing live larvae or young oysters into the bay.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
31 Oct. 2025
-
Many residents favor stricter enforcement of immigration rules but have qualms about the current process.—
Tyler Kingkade,
NBC news,
31 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Copyleaf Wide-leg Yoga Pants Hurry to get 40 percent off a trending pair of Amazon yoga pants that have sold every 15 minutes for the past month.—
Olivia Young,
Travel + Leisure,
28 Oct. 2025
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The 18-year-old rookie also recorded two rebounds and two steals through 31 minutes of action.—
Matt Audilet,
MSNBC Newsweek,
28 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
The inspirations for the Love Connection parody were Miami Vice's Tubbs and Crockett, though Hall acknowledged her most immediate lookalike.—
Lex Goldstein,
PEOPLE,
31 Oct. 2025
-
After Gustav in 2008, the US provided $100,000 in immediate emergency assistance to non-governmental organizations working in humanitarian relief in Cuba.—
Thao Nguyen,
USA Today,
30 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
But the interest in the East Wing demolition had been acute enough that a local-news outlet had identified one of the East Wing dump sites—an industrial park in Hyattsville, Maryland.—
Nancy Walecki,
The Atlantic,
25 Oct. 2025
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The impact is already being felt in the world’s largest refugee camp in Cox’s Bazar, where UNICEF reports an alarming 11% rise in the number of children with acute malnutrition between January and September this year.—
Rebecca Wright,
CNN Money,
25 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
In some, the specialized cells were present for decades.—
Cara Lynn Shultz,
PEOPLE,
30 Oct. 2025
-
The virus is present in stool as well, so changing diapers or helping a sick child in the bathroom can lead to infection if hands aren’t washed thoroughly.—
Katia Hetter,
CNN Money,
29 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Then, turn on the cold water and the disposal for about 15 seconds.—
Taylor Tobin,
Southern Living,
30 Oct. 2025
-
In general, acting quickly is key since the pain can be sharp and overwhelming within the first few seconds.—
Taryn White,
Travel + Leisure,
29 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Instant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/instant. Accessed 3 Nov. 2025.
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