as in instantaneous
done or occurring without any noticeable lapse in time
a day trader who is used to making split-second decisions
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
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Recent Examples of split-second
Austen Erblat, CBS News, 3 Feb. 2026
Anyone familiar with racing — or shows like Drive to Survive, where stories pivot on split-second twists of fate — knows how quickly fortunes can crash and burn.
—Sarah Hepola, Dallas Morning News, 31 Jan. 2026
Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 3 Feb. 2026
About three seconds after the person has fallen to the ground, a second police vehicle enters the frame at high speed and drives over the person, a split second after they can be seen moving on the ground.
—Ishani Desai, Sacbee.com, 23 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for split-second
Adjective
These situations unfold very quickly, and this individual forced my deputy to make a split-second life-or-death decision.
—Austen Erblat, CBS News, 3 Feb. 2026
Anyone familiar with racing — or shows like Drive to Survive, where stories pivot on split-second twists of fate — knows how quickly fortunes can crash and burn.
—Sarah Hepola, Dallas Morning News, 31 Jan. 2026
Noun
For a split second, my hearing went numb.
—Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 3 Feb. 2026
About three seconds after the person has fallen to the ground, a second police vehicle enters the frame at high speed and drives over the person, a split second after they can be seen moving on the ground.
—Ishani Desai, Sacbee.com, 23 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for split-second
Recent Examples of Synonyms for split-second
Adjective
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Criminals would seek payments in Bitcoin in part because the transactions are instantaneous.—
Carlos Garcia,
Fortune,
17 Feb. 2026
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And in an era of viral video and instantaneous judgement, the court of public opinion often convenes long before all the evidence is in.—
Denise Crosby,
Chicago Tribune,
15 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Less than 20 minutes later, the flames had spread to the nearby wilderness and more units were called in to respond to the growing brush fire on the north side of the highway, county officials said.—
Lauren Penington,
Denver Post,
16 Feb. 2026
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The concierge team can assist guests in arranging appointments at Cure Spa (five-minute drive away), as well as personal training sessions, daily gym passes, or group workout classes at Advantage Personal Training (an eight-minute drive away).—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
16 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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The union is seeking an immediate 16% raise for new teachers, an across-the-board 3% raise in the contract’s second year and significant automatic pay hikes tied to years of experience and continued education.—
Howard Blume,
Los Angeles Times,
18 Feb. 2026
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Tickets are $35 in advance and $45 at the door for families (two adults and immediate children), $13 presale and $15 at the door for teens and adults, $8 presale and $10 at the door for children (ages 7 to 12) and free for children 6 and under.—
Elizabeth Marie Himchak,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
17 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The robots also mastered high-speed cluster repositioning at speeds of 4 meters per second.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
17 Feb. 2026
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Less remembered is that GCU led by 12 midway through the second half before SDSU rallied and took the lead on Simmons’ tip-in with 58 seconds left.—
Mark Zeigler,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
17 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Hamnet was shot chronologically and the first time Agnes meets Will, there is almost instant chemistry, or perhaps even love.—
Antonia Blyth,
Deadline,
16 Feb. 2026
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Few pieces deliver such instant polish with so little effort—so, there’s really no such thing as owning too many.—
Minty Mellon,
Vogue,
16 Feb. 2026
Noun
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In that moment, every detour, every loss and every lesson of my life seemed to fall into place.—
Faith Karimi,
CNN Money,
17 Feb. 2026
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The Fire Horse Year is a moment of inner affirmation, a psychological reset that allows people to gather momentum for what comes next.—
Yiling Pan,
Vogue,
17 Feb. 2026
Noun
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For the better part of the last decade, MV Agusta’s heartbeat has been three cylinders wide.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
21 Feb. 2026
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The heartbeat slowed, proving that the heart rate is chemically governed.—
Sally Jenkins,
The Atlantic,
21 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Split-second.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/split-second. Accessed 23 Feb. 2026.
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