How to Use instant in a Sentence

instant

1 of 2 noun

• The ride was over in an instant.
• For an instant, I forgot where I was.
• In that instant, a young man swoops in, swipes the tray, and flees the scene.
  — Jane Borden, Southern Living, 21 Aug. 2023
• In an instant, the room filled with smoke and Reese’s screams.
  — Daniel Wu, Washington Post, 3 Nov. 2023
• In an instant, one of the boys grabbed the money, and the whole group bolted down a side street.
  — Jon Lee Anderson, The New Yorker, 8 Jan. 2024
• The film was an instant hit and shot Silverstone to the top of the Hollywood A-list.
  — Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 18 Feb. 2023
• Burlak said the soldiers could turn on her or her staff in an instant.
  — Michael Fiorentino, NBC News, 24 Feb. 2023
• Matt Davis’ life changed in an instant on a Saturday night in the spring of 2018.
  — San Antonio Express-News, 31 Dec. 2022
• The first call For an instant I was frozen, seeing his name on my phone.
  — Grace Ashford, New York Times, 22 Oct. 2023
• Then, almost in an instant, the empire the 30 year old had built crashed down.
  — Daniel Strauss, The New Republic, 23 Nov. 2022
• In an instant, the fortunes of the San Antonio Spurs changed in a big way.
  — Tim Reynolds, Chicago Tribune, 17 May 2023
• Kids pull that trigger and in an instant, their life has changed.
  — Mykal McEldowney, The Indianapolis Star, 22 Mar. 2024
• But that can all change in an instant if a big cash prize is unveiled.
  — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 27 Mar. 2023
• On an iPhone, do this one thing to get storage space back in an instant.
  — Kim Komando, USA TODAY, 12 Jan. 2023
• In an instant, four of the top players in the league all called Los Angeles their home.
  — Iliana Limón Romero, Los Angeles Times, 22 Feb. 2024
• And in an instant, the tranquilizer dart flew through the air and landed with force in the bear’s rear right thigh.
  — Dana Hedgpeth, Washington Post, 9 June 2023
• In an instant, a unique view into the heart of distant rocky bodies can be erased.
  — Byzack Savitsky, science.org, 6 Apr. 2023
• It’s designed for edge rushers to have the freedom to keep their foot on the gas and create chaos in an instant.
  — Irie Harris, cleveland, 10 Aug. 2023
• They’re made from a super soft modal fabric that dries in an instant.
  — Todd Plummer, Robb Report, 14 Mar. 2023
• Meghan's show Archetypes begins airing in 2022 and is an instant hit.
  — Aimée Lutkin, ELLE, 8 Dec. 2022
• Then, in a single instant on Rock Creek Parkway, they were killed.
  — Luz Lazo, Washington Post, 18 Mar. 2023
• Then in an instant, she was once again lost in the music, dancing — finding her joy.
  — San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Feb. 2023
• In an instant—using a tree as a springboard—a young Yakushima macaque jumped onto the deer’s back.
  — Alan Taylor, The Atlantic, 31 Aug. 2023
• Safer himself jumps over the footlights and joins in—turning from watcher to dancer in an instant.
  — Helen Shaw, The New Yorker, 9 Feb. 2024
• In an instant, Sabalenka was on her back on the blue court, crying tears of joy — and relief.
  — Matthew Futterman, BostonGlobe.com, 28 Jan. 2023
• At the moment of hatching, the father swims upward and spits out his many babies in an instant.
  — Cecilia Rodriguez, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2024
• Check the temperature of the oil in the skillet with an instant-read thermometer.
  — Tori Latham, Robb Report, 5 Apr. 2023
• On a full charge, the instant on mode, which provides continuous light, lasts for up to three hours.
  — Isabel Garcia, Peoplemag, 7 May 2023
• Sometimes students will spend hours on a piece, and in an instant, their hard work is lying across the ground in a thousand shards.
  — Cheri Lucas Rowlands, Longreads, 7 Sep. 2023
• In an instant, Flo channeled that car karaoke, rapping the first verse of that song from memory.
  — Niela Orr, New York Times, 9 Aug. 2023

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instant

2 of 2 adjective

• The movie was an instant hit.
• We got an instant response from the company.
• He became an instant celebrity with the publication of his first novel.
• Is this coffee instant or regular?
• The Internet provides instant access to an enormous amount of information.
• Here, the switch from the vague, a lot, to the specific, 5,000+ reviews, opens the door to instant trust.
  — Renae Gregoire, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024
• This isn't a good choice for those who want instant curls.
  — Theresa Holland, Peoplemag, 28 July 2023
• Not hard to make, and there are methods out there to skip the oven and do it all in the instant pot.
  — Lisa Cericola, Southern Living, 9 June 2023
• Her instant message: the U.S. would not fall flat in this half.
  — Sean Gregory, Time, 27 July 2023
• One of the aspects of your career that the film talks about is your instant rise to fame.
  — Lily Moayeri, Spin, 5 Oct. 2023
• Then add about half a cup of instant dry rice to the hopper, running it through the grinder.
  — Christina Manian, Rdn, Better Homes & Gardens, 31 July 2023
• The pain of looking at the sun is not instant and the same goes for symptoms of damage.
  — Emily Deletter, USA TODAY, 9 Apr. 2024
• One year, the elves got their hands on an instant camera and did a photoshoot in the middle of the night.
  — Ella Field, Better Homes & Gardens, 21 Dec. 2023
• If your home could use an instant decor refresh, an area rug is a great place to start.
  — Lily Gray, Peoplemag, 2 Nov. 2023
• Will this year’s top three NBA prospects be instant impact players in the league?
  — Tyler Dragon, USA TODAY, 23 June 2023
• Brighten up your veggie spread with an instant side that'll add a pop of pink to your plate.
  — Ann Taylor Pittman, Southern Living, 8 July 2023
• Sign-up here to get instant access to the Waterdogs vs. Archers livestream.
  — Tim Chan, Variety, 24 Sep. 2023
• When Fox stopped giving it to the audience, there was an instant falloff.
  — Jim Rutenberg, New York Times, 6 Apr. 2023
• While the last final between the two was an instant classic at DreamLeague this bout did not quite hit the same heights.
  — Mike Stubbs, Forbes, 7 May 2023
• Adding a touch of instant espresso to the cookie dough ensures each bite tastes extra rich.
  — Sarah Martens, Better Homes & Gardens, 14 Apr. 2023
• This one is no instant classic, ranking more along the lines of April Fool’s Day than the gold standard of its ilk, Halloween.
  — Frank Scheck, The Hollywood Reporter, 15 Nov. 2023
• There was an instant impact from the row, with Bud Light seeing a dramatic drop in sales.
  — Byprarthana Prakash, Fortune, 17 Aug. 2023
• When he was introduced to Brown and King, the connection was instant.
  — Marley Marius, Vogue, 7 Sep. 2023
• The sparks are instant and the chemistry is undeniable.
  — Jessica Leon, EW.com, 21 June 2023
• Suns backup big Bol Bol replaced Booker at the start of the second and had an instant impact.
  — Dana Scott, The Arizona Republic, 2 Jan. 2024
• Simply apply the stick directly to your dog's nose for a burst of instant relief.
  — Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 21 May 2023
• Palm oil is in bread, instant noodles, Girl Scout cookies, lipstick, Nutella and ice cream, to name a few.
  — Dionne Searcey, New York Times, 9 Mar. 2024
• The novel became an instant New York Times best-seller.
  — Seija Rankin, The Hollywood Reporter, 8 Sep. 2023
• In a few months, he’s become baseball’s best right fielder, with an instant arm that would bring a smile to Roberto Clemente’s face.
  — San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 July 2023
• But insiders say the app’s well of instant virality could be drying up.
  — August Brown, Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2024

Last Updated: 5 Sep 2024