INSTANTS Synonyms: 27 Similar and Opposite Words

instants

noun

plural of instant

as in moments

a very small space of time it all happened in an instant

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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of instants These days, the shows are bigger and the tickets sell out in instants, filling theaters around the country with concertgoers whose response to Geese’s music can best be described as rabid ecstasy. — Simon Vozick-Levinson, Rolling Stone, 10 Sep. 2026 Recent instants, according to the company, will be saved in an archive that's private and only accessible to the user who takes it. — Kelly McCarthy, ABC News, 13 May 2026 Elle has become a collector of sounds, wandering the city with a pocket recorder in hand, creating what are, in effect, sonic images of instants stretched out into time. — Richard Brody, New Yorker, 4 Feb. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for instants

Noun

For many, a place remembered for its scenery also serves as a backdrop for personal moments of grief, reflection or healing, the survey said.

— Gagandeep Singh, Sacbee.com, 24 Oct. 2026
But a few geological moments after the Laurentide sheet started re-expanding, humanity entered the chat.

— Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 24 Oct. 2026

Definition of moments

Noun

Roger McQueen scored his first NHL goal and Cutter Gauthier ended his nine-game drought with two goals for the Ducks, who led 3-1 in the first period before getting blitzed 6-0 by Buffalo over the next 35 minutes.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 30 Oct. 2026
However, many members will complete a short set of exercises on the machines, then stay on the machine or bench while looking at their phones for long periods of time — often 10 minutes or more.

— Judith Martin, Sun Sentinel, 29 Oct. 2026

Definition of minutes

Noun

With 13 seconds left and third down at the Braves’ 12, Guess threw the ball up toward the end zone and Brown, his best friend since the age of 6, caught it for a touchdown.

— Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 31 Oct. 2026
Pulse for a few seconds in intervals until the ingredients are pulverized into a smooth paste.

— Rachel Gurjar, Bon Appetit Magazine, 30 Oct. 2026

Definition of seconds

Noun

One promising alternative is to instead harvest energy from the body itself by capturing mechanical energy generated by the contraction of muscles, such as heartbeats, or the movement of fluids.

— Edd Gent, IEEE Spectrum, 29 Oct. 2026
Savannah also shares a bracelet that has their three children’s heartbeats on it, along with LeBron’s initials on the clasp.

— Anna Grace Lee, Vogue, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of heartbeats

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instantly

instants

instate

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“Instants.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/instants. Accessed 31 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of instants

noun

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