1
as in instantaneous
done or occurring without any noticeable lapse in time
an instant response to the cry for help
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in urgent
needing immediate attention
an instant need for food supplies in the famine-stricken country
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in current
existing or in progress right now
we should be more concerned with instant dangers than with those in the far-off future
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in minute
a very small space of time
it all happened in an instant
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 instant
Andy Wilcox, Better Homes & Gardens, 3 June 2025
Part standup, part wail from the bowels of Skokie, My Childhood in Pieces is an instant classic.
—Gabrielle Bellot, Literary Hub, 3 June 2025
Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 16 May 2025
It was so perfectly placed — and Cronenworth had gotten such a good jump and taken off the instant Maldonado made contact — that all third baseman Yoán Moncada could do was throw to first for the out as Cronenworth raced home with the go-ahead run.
—Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for instant
Adjective
Tubers are as easy to plant as potatoes, but many people prefer to buy a dahlia plant or two and plunk them into a pot for instant gratification.
—Andy Wilcox, Better Homes & Gardens, 3 June 2025
Part standup, part wail from the bowels of Skokie, My Childhood in Pieces is an instant classic.
—Gabrielle Bellot, Literary Hub, 3 June 2025
Noun
One surreal instant later, Allan Houston put down a forceful dribble, curled around Dan Majerle as tightly as a stripe on a candy cane and discovered a shaft of light.
—Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 16 May 2025
It was so perfectly placed — and Cronenworth had gotten such a good jump and taken off the instant Maldonado made contact — that all third baseman Yoán Moncada could do was throw to first for the out as Cronenworth raced home with the go-ahead run.
—Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for instant
Recent Examples of Synonyms for instant
Adjective
-
The material effects on the actor’s career were instantaneous.—
Patrick Brzeski,
HollywoodReporter,
21 May 2025
-
Finance has always been data-driven, but it’s now poised for instantaneous, insight-rich operations.—
Murugan Lakshmanan,
Forbes.com,
8 May 2025
Adjective
-
In his urgent nonfiction debut, the writer—who was born in Cairo, grew up in Doha, moved to Canada, and now lives in rural Oregon—wrestles with his disillusionment with the West and its institutions, particularly given the indifference he’s observed in so many as the war rages on.—
Andrew R. Chow,
Time,
6 June 2025
-
The appeals court said there is no urgent need for DOGE to access Social Security records in the interim.—
Nina Totenberg,
NPR,
6 June 2025
Adjective
-
First, audit your current encryption methods and ensure that your infrastructure can manage these new algorithms.—
Usman Javaid,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2025
-
Its current sanctuary, complete with state-of-the-art sound and video systems, can hold half its 8,000 members at a time at its campus in Lochearn.—
Jonathan M. Pitts,
Baltimore Sun,
6 June 2025
Noun
-
The song runs on for more than six minutes on the album, including a perfectly gnarly guitar solo from Freeman himself.—
Simon Vozick-Levinson,
Rolling Stone,
30 May 2025
-
Trolley lines where trains are now scheduled to arrive every 15 minutes could be scaled back to 30-minute headways.—
David Garrick,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
30 May 2025
Adjective
-
There were no immediate reports of civilian casualties on the ground.—
Democrat-Gazette Staff From Wire Reports,
Arkansas Online,
30 May 2025
-
This technique does not meet our bar for immediate servicing as a user must provide consent to the application before any access is allowed.—
James Peckham,
PC Magazine,
30 May 2025
Adjective
-
Exposure is linked to worsening symptoms in those with asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), but acute cardiovascular risks, including heart attacks and strokes, may be even more pronounced.—
Anna Skinner,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 June 2025
-
Timeline Expectations: The Long Road of Grief Normal grief timeline: Most young adults begin to experience some relief from acute grief symptoms within 6-12 months, though grief waves can continue for years.—
Charell G. Coleman,
Forbes.com,
4 June 2025
Adjective
-
All of the hallmarks that made the group such a force in the Seventies and Eighties — the irresistible melodies, the spark-up-and-chill vibes, those voices — are present here, without any trace of aping the past.—
Joseph Hudak,
Rolling Stone,
6 June 2025
-
The city’s African roots are ever present here in a way that is unique to the rest of the United States.—
Essence,
Essence,
6 June 2025
Noun
-
Gonzalez said his home run Friday, his second of the season, included a hunting trip.—
John Maffei,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 June 2025
-
Free charts are often delayed by several seconds or more.—
David Materazzi,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Instant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/instant. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share