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.
And, just like that, it was as if the 1983 sci-fi movie “WarGames” was feeling real.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 1, 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
And just like that, the week comes into focus.
From Salon • Jan. 11, 2026
“It is the ash of a cord that has been thrown into the fire and burned. Cord just like that ball of nettle twine in the corner.”
From "Norse Mythology" by Neil Gaiman
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.
