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Showing results for on a dime. Search instead for I am on a diet.
Synonyms

on a dime

Idioms  

  1. In a very small space, suddenly, as in That horse is so well trained it can turn on a dime. This expression alludes to the fact that the dime is the smallest-size U.S. coin. [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.

Since then, the theory was confirmed, as the lower border stopped multiple intraday rallies, while the brief surge last week was stopped on a dime at the upper border.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 31, 2026

For starters, auto makers can’t shift production or plans on a dime.

From Barron's • Dec. 4, 2025

"Companies can't move on a dime; there are incentives to keep supply chains in place and it's extremely complicated and costly to change things."

From BBC • Nov. 10, 2025

He also has to be quick, flexible, and able to change direction on a dime while keeping his balance.

From The Wall Street Journal • Aug. 19, 2025

He looked for flanker Robert Brown down the right sideline and threw the ball crossfield on a dime about forty yards.

From "Friday Night Lights: A Town, A Team, And A Dream" by H.G. Bissinger

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.