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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

If she posts about liking a certain BBQ sauce, that sauce will sell out in a New York minute.

From Los Angeles Times Sep. 28, 2023

After 18 months of waiting, you don’t want to waste another New York minute to see a show on Broadway.

From Washington Post Sep. 8, 2021

And then it all changed in a New York minute.

From Seattle Times May 19, 2019

We titter and tremble over ‘fake news’ that most discerning readers, re: nominally intelligent adults, would spot on their Facebook News feeds in about a New York minute.

From New York Times Apr. 16, 2018

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