Synonyms

lickety-split

American

[lik-i-tee-split] / ˈlɪk ɪ tiˈsplɪt /

adverb

Informal.

at great speed; rapidly.

to travel lickety-split.

lickety-split British

/ ˈlɪkɪtɪˈsplɪt /

adverb

informal very quickly; speedily

"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 lickety-split

An Americanism dating back to 1835–45; lickety, a fanciful extension of lick “to move quickly” + split, “fraction,” as in split second

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:

lickety-split

Mexico had apparently agreed to it, but the deal was derailed by the Mexican-American War, and California lickety-split became a part of the United States.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 1, 2025

Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace could have supplied us, lickety-split.

From Salon ● Dec. 6, 2024

You then proceeded to get on your back halfway off the curb on the parking strip, quickly and efficiently changed my tire and I was on my way lickety-split.

From Seattle Times ● Sep. 10, 2023

Marshal, with lickety-split wit: “Some would say infamous.”

From Washington Post ● Jul. 14, 2022

A rabbit goes lickety-split in front of me, then disappears.

From "Shiloh" by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023