SPLIT SECOND Synonyms: 46 Similar and Opposite Words

split-second 1 of 2

adjective

ˈsplit-ˈse-kənd

Definition of split-second

as in instantaneous

done or occurring without any noticeable lapse in time a day trader who is used to making split-second decisions

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

split second

2 of 2

noun

as in minute

a very small space of time a devastating accident can cause everything in your life to change in a split second

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 split-second

Adjective

Scammers count on that split-second panic. — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 17 June 2026 Fearing the vessel would drift back toward her son, Thomas' mother made a split-second decision to accelerate away. — Jordan Greene, PEOPLE, 17 June 2026

Noun

Every baseball game has multiple turning points — times when a swing being a split second sooner or a fraction of an inch higher could change everything. — C. Trent Rosecrans, New York Times, 5 July 2026 Then, in a split second, his fly is gone, yanked into the depths by a rainbow. — Dac Collins, Outdoor Life, 1 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for split-second

Recent Examples of Synonyms for split-second

Adjective

The curse is that hundreds of LEO satellites are required to reliably provide near-instantaneous location and timing services across the entire world.

— Jeremy Hsu, ArsTechnica, 16 July 2026
The most common type is lethal in about half of patients, and death is almost instantaneous.

— Veronique Greenwood, Time, 13 July 2026

Definition of instantaneous

Noun

The flight, which was originally slated for last week but was delayed, ended after an hour and five minutes.

— Adam Kovac, Scientific American, 25 July 2026
But Linda Ullmark’s last-minute goal turned a potential scoreless draw into a frustrating loss at Shell Energy Stadium.

— Staff report, Mercury News, 25 July 2026

Definition of minute

Adjective

The temporary waivers marked a central US concession for Iran to reopen the crucial waterway, reaping almost immediate financial benefit for Tehran.

— Billy Stockwell, CNN Money, 24 July 2026
While Stenberg signed an entry-level contract with the Sharks this month and is expected to be on the team’s roster this fall, and Lin headed to the University of Denver, and there were some questions about Verhoeff’s immediate future.

— Curtis Pashelka, Mercury News, 24 July 2026

Definition of immediate

Noun

Now, each artist has to read a prompt, sketch it, and surrender the sketch to Kaylin, who has 10 seconds to describe it to the performer, via what seems like a terrible, hard-to-hear phone connection.

— Tasha Robinson, Vulture, 28 July 2026
Doing any of those things in 15 seconds where classical computing takes an hour is huge, mostly because many of these optimization problems are constantly changing minute by minute.

— John Koetsier, Forbes.com, 28 July 2026

Definition of second

Adjective

Some industry observers, though, have sounded an alarm that increasingly high prices for superstar tours which are guaranteed instant sellouts may be siphoning off consumer dollars from mid-level acts, whose ticket prices are also going up.

— Chris Willman, Variety, 25 July 2026
Gabby Williams highlights the instant success of the Golden State Valkyries, and Marina Mabrey gets love on behalf of one of this year’s expansion teams, the Toronto Tempo.

— Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 25 July 2026

Definition of instant

Noun

The influencer, who announced the loss of her baby girl on Friday, June 12, got a drawing of her daughter’s heartbeat tattooed on the inside of her arm.

— Kayla Grant, PEOPLE, 22 July 2026
Because a heartbeat, something of the soul transmitted from one human to another, is still the one thing the machines can't produce.

— Sara Connell, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026

Definition of heartbeat

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splits

split-second

split second

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Style

“Split-second.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/split-second. Accessed 28 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of split-second

adjective

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

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