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New York minute

American  

noun

Informal.
  1. a very short time.


New York minute British  

noun

  1. informal a very short period of time; instant

"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

Etymology

Origin of New York minute

C20: from the supposedly fast pace of life in New York

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.

See Examples For:

When corporate raiders took notice of how much revenue medicine generated, it took them a New York minute to invade the marketplace.

From MarketWatch Jan. 26, 2026

Such is the nature of links golf, and such is the backdrop when the 151st Open begins Thursday with English weather that can change in a New York minute.

From Seattle Times Jul. 19, 2023

In anticipation of Art Basel this week, the city that boasts “a New York minute is a Hong Kong second,” has been getting back up to speed with the rest of the world.

From New York Times Mar. 22, 2023

A proposal with only 18 co-sponsors cleared the body in a New York minute.

From Washington Post Mar. 18, 2022

We took a longish New York minute to speak with Serhant, who recently bought a $7.6-million Brooklyn brownstone; he’ll move in once renovations are completed, joined by wife Emilia and infant daughter Zena.

From Los Angeles Times Jul. 26, 2019

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