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 .
-
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.
One comment on Facebook, whose author noted that marathoners have similar experiences, while another wrote: "They've trained too long and too hard to give up just like that."
From BBC ● Sep. 14, 2026
And just like that first-season turnaround in a pub dart game, where Ted shows up Rebecca’s vituperative ex, Rupert, good old Coach Lasso leaps in to caramelize Alice’s insult into golden, heartwarming sunshine.
From Salon ● Sep. 10, 2026
And just like that, here comes another coterie of young people to make some of us feel old and some of us feel seen.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 1, 2026
“And just like that, those principles give way to power,” she writes.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 5, 2026
And just like that, the Hometown Heroes were tied for first place.
From "Mr. Lemoncello's Library Olympics" by Chris Grabenstein
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.
