just like that
Idioms-
Suddenly and, sometimes, unexpectedly. For example, The alarm went off, just like that , or And then they walked out, just like that .
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Also, like that . Very friendly or intimate with one another. For example, Bill and his boss often see each other socially; they are just like that , or Joe and Jane are always together; they're like that . This expression is usually emphasized by the speaker's holding up two fingers and either keeping them together or crossing them to show the closeness or intimacies of the parties being discussed. [ Colloquial ; early 1900s]
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Our team had many conversations just like that one.
From Salon • Apr. 19, 2026
And just like that, a snowball fight became a loyalty test.
From Slate • Feb. 28, 2026
"We were told that he's a very good teacher, and we were dismissed just like that."
From BBC • Feb. 12, 2026
“In the case of Tricolor, they dealt with double pledging of collateral, and we do catch issues just like that for our large lenders,” Wickett said.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 16, 2025
“He’s a character, all right. He was just like that in college, too. He just never grew up. Some people don’t have to. They’re lucky.”
From "Breadcrumbs" by Anne Ursu
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
