on the spur of the moment

Idioms  

1. Impulsively, without prior preparation, as in He decided to join a tour to England on the spur of the moment. This expression alludes to the goading action of a spur to a horse. [Late 1700s]

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

on the spur of the moment

Written on the spur of the moment, Leave Me Alone quickly became the obvious choice to launch Rapp's second album, Bite Me.

From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2025

Many years ago, my husband and I decided on the spur of the moment to see a Broadway show.

From New York Times ● Dec. 12, 2021

Bernard Ssembatya said he had been driving by when he spotted the Red Cross’s white tent and went in for a jab on the spur of the moment.

From Seattle Times ● Sep. 11, 2021

Vaccine promotions will appear in the stadium during the game, he said, and there will be tents outside for people who decide, on the spur of the moment, to get inoculated.

From Washington Post ● Sep. 3, 2021

While many in the crowd believed that this decision had been made on the spur of the moment, it had been planned in detail for some time.

From "The Best of Enemies" by Osha Gray Davidson