as in moments
a very small space of time
it all happened in an instant
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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
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
Richard Brody, New Yorker, 4 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for instants
Noun
-
Staff also remembered him as a constant source of support for coworkers — someone who checked in during difficult moments and made sure others were okay.—
Zachary Bynum,
CBS News,
14 Apr. 2026
-
Brown, who serves as executive chair of the BetterUp Center for Daring Leadership, says trust is earned in small, consistent moments when leaders show genuine interest in their employees’ lives.—
Kristin Stoller,
Fortune,
13 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The game was tied at 1 before Thompson scored from the low slot 13 minutes into the second after stealing the puck from Blackhawks defenseman Louis Crevier.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
14 Apr. 2026
-
The Lightning are 17-7-3 in games their opponents serve more penalty minutes.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
14 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The Concentrate, which has earned more than 30,000 positive reviews, makes hot or cold coffee in seconds.—
Tory Johnson,
ABC News,
13 Apr. 2026
-
Luostarinen opened the scoring just 23 seconds in, spinning into Samoskevich’s rebound and beating Woll from a tight angle.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
12 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Stress Some fitness trackers measure heart rate variability (HRV), which is the variation in the time intervals between heartbeats.—
Carrie Madormo,
Verywell Health,
10 Apr. 2026
-
Vital signs, such as breathing and heartbeats, naturally generate low-frequency vibrations that cause the skull to vibrate.—
Soo Kim,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Instants.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/instants. Accessed 15 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
