in the twinkling of an eye

Idioms  

1. In an instant, as in The breakup of Yugoslavia created many warring nations in the twinkling of an eye. This hyperbolic expression, which alludes to the very brief time it takes for an eye to blink, is heard less often today. [c. 1300]

---

Example Sentences

In the twinkling of an eye, a part of Tulsa is changed from the happy, joyous, care-free to looks of grim determination.

From Slate • Oct. 23, 2019

In the twinkling of an eye your life can change.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 23, 2018

In the twinkling of an eye it ended!

From Time Magazine Archive

In the twinkling of an eye, Disney chairman Michael Eisner and president Frank Wells last week turned 7 million stock options into a $263 million profit, one of the richest corporate paydays ever.

From Time Magazine Archive

In the twinkling of an eye, the scattered groups filled out, swelled, and lengthened, and the streets filled with euphoric people jumping up and down and shouting and hugging each other and laughing.

From "The House of the Spirits: A Novel" by Isabel Allende