How to Use split-second in a Sentence

split-second

1 of 2 adjective
Definition of split-secondnext
Synonyms for split-secondnext
  • Springsteen gives it a split-second thought and laughs.
    — Nancy Kruh, Peoplemag, 2 Dec. 2023
  • That’s a record price for the split-second chronograph, of which only 12 were made.
    — Morgan Haefner, Quartz, 23 Apr. 2024
  • Both wheels on one side are off within a split-second of the car stopping.
    — Shane Connuck, Charlotte Observer, 25 June 2024
  • The split-second moment comes as the officers, guns drawn, dart up a flight of stairs amid a frantic search for the suspect and the victims.
    — Bradford Betz, Fox News, 22 Dec. 2023
  • The flash from a strike would arrive before the sound, a terrifying split-second.
    — Hannah Allam, Washington Post, 23 Dec. 2023
  • In the footage shown over and over on TV, a curtain of water mercifully blocked the fatal split-second from the camera’s view.
    — Christopher Goffard, Los Angeles Times, 12 June 2024
  • But a split-second act of violence in the California desert derails their plans and sets them on a crash course with tragedy.
    — Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 17 May 2023
  • The defense in such cases, meanwhile, are known to emphasize the split-second nature at which the events unfold.
    — Alex Mann, Baltimore Sun, 18 July 2023
  • The lens snaps from near to distant subjects without hesitation on the a7R IV and takes just a split-second to go from a far-off subject to a close one.
    — PCMAG, 6 June 2024
  • Quick, split-second decisions helped along by informed research and planning, and an eye for what will pop.
    — Alex Weprin, The Hollywood Reporter, 1 Aug. 2024
  • But then, out of nowhere, an arm and a hand appeared, skiing above the others, grabbed the ball at its apex in midair, controlled it with a giant palm and fingers, and slammed it home all in a split-second.
    — Marlowe Alter, Detroit Free Press, 2 Apr. 2023
  • When a frustrated Ford throws to a commercial break in the middle of the bit, leaving four minutes to go, Midge makes a split-second decision.
    — Angelique Jackson, Variety, 26 May 2023
  • For a split-second, exactly one of my neurons raises a question: Should Kate go on Survivor?
    — Molly Fitzpatrick, Vulture, 7 Mar. 2024
  • The threat of ballistic missiles requires split-second decisions on the part of Cmdr.
    — Rich Schapiro, NBC News, 7 Feb. 2024
  • The findings were described in a [Related: Bee brains could teach robots to make split-second decisions.
    — Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 25 Sep. 2023
  • Elden Ring runs weirdly well on the Steam Deck, but playing a game that deep, requiring split-second timing, a lot of menus, and a huge field of view, never feels fully right on the Deck.
    — Kevin Purdy, Ars Technica, 28 Apr. 2023
  • Police officers have a split-second to make life-or-death decisions.
    — Gary Drenik, Forbes, 16 Mar. 2023
  • In a 2-1 decision, the judges relied on a previous case that was about police acting in a split-second decision.
    — Andrew Wimer, Forbes, 4 May 2023
  • Only much later did the public realize how close Reagan came to dying that day — his life had hung in the balance of a split-second decision and an inch.
    — Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune, 14 July 2024
  • The 21-year-old has three goals and three assists in this World Cup and apologized to her teammates for the split-second play on field that forced England to push its way through the tournament without the Chelsea midfielder.
    — The Salt Lake Tribune, 19 Aug. 2023
  • While no one seems to be alone in their impulse purchases, many shoppers are regretting their split-second choices.
    — Chloe Berger, Fortune, 19 Sep. 2023
  • But then, a split-second moment in time changes everything in catastrophic ways.
    — Gerrad Hall, EW.com, 25 Mar. 2023
  • As the body-camera footage makes clear, these officers were trying to minimize the risks to everyone in that room, not just themselves, and were forced to make split-second decisions based on those risks.
    — Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 9 May 2024
  • Some of that split-second decision-making this season comes from Dander, but most of it comes from Cartwright, the character who (if this were a less original show) would be the maverick.
    — Lili Loofbourow, Washington Post, 29 Nov. 2023
  • As the official timekeeper, Porsche Design's role is critical in capturing the split-second moments that define the outcomes of the races.
    — Bhanu Chopra, Forbes, 21 Feb. 2024
  • The first stop was the makeshift migrant camp where Border Patrol agents picked up the Mexican couple hours after Nixon had made the risky, split-second decision to transport them to a safe location.
    — Rosa Flores, CNN, 29 Mar. 2024
  • They will be guided by algorithms, which can process visual data and make split-second decisions.
    — Mark A. Milley, Foreign Affairs, 5 Aug. 2024
  • Small clusters of students, workers, and cadres struggling to respond to Mao’s shifting directives made split-second decisions about whom to align with.
    — Andrew G. Walder, Foreign Affairs, 10 Dec. 2019
  • Once upon a time, in the land of snobby sommeliers, a diner was expected to make a split-second decision about a wine’s acceptability the moment a taste of a wine was poured.
    — Mike Desimone and Jeff Jenssen, Robb Report, 11 Aug. 2024
  • The exhilaration of acceleration is matched by a constant need for course corrections and split-second decisions.
    — Henry Chen, Forbes, 3 Sep. 2024
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split second

2 of 2 noun
  • In a split second, it was all over.
  • In that split second—from out of nowhere—a car ran the red light at 80 mph.
    — Spencer McFadden Hoge and Cynthia McFadden, Town & Country, 25 Oct. 2020
  • In a split second, holes were coming through the walls.
    — Guillermo Contreras, San Antonio Express-News, 7 Oct. 2021
  • But has all of the fights and all of those years taken away just a split second?
    — Los Angeles Times, 19 July 2019
  • Rapid-fire, the tongue can be deployed in a split second.
    — Shane Black, National Geographic, 8 June 2018
  • The kick looked good for a split second but then veered hard to the right and outside the uprights.
    — David Brandt, ajc, 9 Oct. 2022
  • In just that split second, the show had already moved on.
    — Mark Gray, PEOPLE.com, 16 May 2022
  • But for Sayali Apte, 23 is the age that life changed in a split second.
    — Carrie Kerpen, Forbes, 25 May 2021
  • The robber froze for a split second and watched Bartek hit the pavement.
    — Cory Shaffer, cleveland, 26 July 2022
  • It’s one of those things that can happen in a split second.
    — Hannah Dylan Pasternak, SELF, 27 Oct. 2020
  • When the man turns for a split second, Gallagher fires two rounds.
    — David Hernandez, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 July 2022
  • For a split second, time seemed to freeze, as neither team turned to head back down the court.
    — Los Angeles Times, 4 Jan. 2022
  • Lopes came off the bag for a split second, giving Marte time to tag him out.
    — Nick Piecoro, The Arizona Republic, 4 Mar. 2023
  • And for me, for a split second tonight, life felt normal. ...
    — USA Today, 25 Sep. 2020
  • Just to know in the matter of split seconds, things happen.
    — Brian Wacker, Baltimore Sun, 27 July 2023
  • Both Apple Maps and Google Maps found it in a split second.
    — Eric A. Taub, New York Times, 1 Feb. 2018
  • Gimenez made a split second turn and throw to get Schneider at first and end the inning.
    — Paul Hoynes, cleveland, 10 Aug. 2023
  • Squeeze your biceps at the top for a split second, then lower the weight back down.
    — Jeff Tomko, Men's Health, 2 Feb. 2023
  • His shot goes right to Navas, who spills it for a split second, but collects.
    — Matthew Futterman and Victor Mather, New York Times, 23 June 2018
  • For a split second the play looks like a kickoff return.
    — Andy Staples, SI.com, 24 Oct. 2017
  • These men…are wearing masks, and Archie saw the shooter for a split second.
    — Christopher Rosa, Glamour, 11 Oct. 2017
  • The key to surviving a tour is to be able to see where anything lives in a split second.
    — Eve Barlow, GQ, 25 June 2018
  • To start, the puppy only needs to focus on you for a split second.
    — Jennifer Williams, Fox News, 11 May 2018
  • Most runners might have called it a day, and Hassan said the thought crossed her mind for a split second.
    — Eddie Pells, San Francisco Chronicle, 2 Aug. 2021
  • My dream was taken away from me, and in a split second, Simon just gave that dream back to me.
    — Joelle Goldstein, Peoplemag, 9 Jan. 2024
  • But in a split second, a scuffle broke out and a few people made off with all the rations.
    — Carlos Mureithi, The Christian Science Monitor, 14 June 2023
  • There was a split second of silence, and then, sheer bedlam.
    — Eric He, The Mercury News, 5 July 2019
  • The cornerback froze for a split second and soon was stuck in quicksand.
    — Don Norcross, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Sep. 2023
  • That Donald Trump is alive today is only a result of sheer luck — a bullet that missed by less than an inch, a head tilt at the right split second.
    — The Editors, National Review, 17 July 2024
  • In that split second, Violet knows exactly what is going on here.
    — Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 16 May 2024

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'split-second.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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