How to Use split-second in a Sentence

split-second

1 of 2 adjective
  • 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
  • Compared to the split-second margins of ski-racing, Sinner explained, tennis felt more forgiving.
    Abby Aguirre, Vogue, 4 Apr. 2024
  • The researchers then attempted to see what, if any, physical response could be observed during these split-second micro-naps.
    New Atlas, 17 July 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
  • In that split second, Violet knows exactly what is going on here.
    Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 16 May 2024
  • And after a split second of hesitation, mom and dad deliver, letting loose with some truly admirable hip motion, and arm and leg swings.
    Melissa Willets, Parents, 30 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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