aha moment

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noun Informal.

a point in time, event, or experience when one has a sudden insight or realization: My aha moment was when I put on my shorts from last summer and they didn’t fit.

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His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of aha moment

From the expression aha, used to signal sudden awareness or comprehension

Words nearby aha moment

ah, aha, Ahab, Ahab, Captain, Ahad Haam, aha moment, ahankara, Ahasuerus, AHAUS, à haute voix, Ahaz

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use aha moment in a sentence

I’m dedicating my life to mathematics, the art of the shortcut, but I actually enjoy spending the time and having that aha moment when I find a little tunnel, which gets me through to the other side.
What’s Wrong With Shortcuts? (Ep. 483)|Stephen J. Dubner|November 18, 2021|Freakonomics
When I notice myself tensing up and scripting my words in an effort not to touch off emotional consequences with someone, that’s my aha moment that I’m involved with someone controlling.
Carolyn Hax: An estrangement, a new baby and a grandparent caught in the middle|Carolyn Hax|September 22, 2021|Washington Post
As she tells it, her aha moment came in the form of a drawing from her youngest son, who struggled to understand why his mother’s meetings kept taking precedent over him.
A new asynchronous video startup, Weet, is helping employees communicate on their own schedule|Connie Loizos|March 4, 2021|TechCrunch
The first was access to affordable health care, a confirmation of her aha moment with Tadyn.
The fight to stop the next pandemic starts in the jungles of Borneo|Brian Barth|December 2, 2020|Popular-Science

“It was an aha moment for me and motivated the research,” Lee said.
The Gubernatorial Glass Ceiling—and What It Means for Hillary Clinton|Eleanor Clift|June 5, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Was there an “aha moment” when that balance clicked into place?
Grant Heslov Is the Robin to George Clooney’s Batman|Andrew Romano|February 7, 2014|DAILY BEAST
And in this aha moment, she explains in ways we all can understand what it must feel like to be transgendered.
Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato’s Favorite World of Wonder Clips (VIDEO)|Fenton Bailey, Randy Barbato|February 5, 2013|DAILY BEAST
"Aha moment" is quite old—our earliest citation is from a 1939 psychology text—but it was used only sporadically for a long time.
New Words Added to Merriam-Webster Dictionary: ‘Man Cave,’ ‘Sexting,’ and More|Kory L. Stamper|August 14, 2012|DAILY BEAST

British Dictionary definitions for aha moment

aha moment

noun

an instant at which the solution to a problem becomes clear

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012