SPLIT SECONDS Synonyms: 27 Similar and Opposite Words

split seconds

noun

plural of split second

as in minutes

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

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 split seconds That direct link gives Wall Street a leg up over retail traders by delivering Truth Social posts split seconds faster than the public sees them. — David Goldman, CNN Money, 11 Aug. 2026 Rispoli seemed not totally aware of what happened in the split seconds before the start of the San Diego Handicap. — Bill Center, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 July 2026 In just split seconds, a speeding car going sideways comes to a crashing stop. — Madisen Keavy, CBS News, 18 June 2026 The brain must calculate angles in split seconds. — Alec Lewis, New York Times, 20 May 2026 When addressing the costly turnovers, like the fourth-quarter interception that put the Bills in position to seal the 31-21 win, Tagovailoa points out those decisions are made in split seconds. — Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 26 Sep. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for split seconds

Noun

In the second quarter, the Dream’s first basket didn’t come until a little over three minutes into the period.

— Micahya Costen, AJC.com, 29 Aug. 2026
Just 10 minutes from Lagos and 15 minutes from Portimão, Palmares strikes an ideal balance between accessibility and seclusion.

— Jeff Goudy, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026

Definition of minutes

Noun

With 33 seconds left in Round 9, Itauma’s trainer Ben Davison threw in the towel, leaving Hrgović to celebrate making history.

— Sarah Shephard, New York Times, 30 Aug. 2026
Minutes later the finalists will fight to stay on the back of 2,000-pound animals with names like Man Hater and Buck Nasty for eight excruciating seconds, and then dodge the bull's hooves and horns when they're tossed to the ground.

— Christine Lennon, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 Aug. 2026

Definition of seconds

Noun

There’s also been lots of moments to dress up for too, with megawatt tours from Harry Styles, Ariana Grande, and Zara Larsson; maximalist pop stars with fans eager to follow their lead in sequins and ties, hibiscus flowers in hair.

— Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 31 Aug. 2026
In its bleakest moments, the novel suggests that the ordeal of being gay in a venomously bigoted society negates its bounty.

— Katy Waldman, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of moments

Noun

Simpson was diagnosed with arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy, a rare heart condition that can cause irregular heartbeats and sudden cardiac death in seemingly healthy individuals, per John Hopkins Medicine.

— Raven Brunner, PEOPLE, 20 Aug. 2026
Everything in the body runs in vibratory cycles from heartbeats to brainwaves to sleep-wake cycles.

— Ginny Whitelaw, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026

Definition of heartbeats

Browse Nearby Words

split second

split seconds

splits hairs

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Split seconds.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/split%20seconds. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of split seconds

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

conscientious

Popular in Grammar & Usage

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Popular in Wordplay

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Games & Quizzes