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wait a minute

Idioms  
  1. Stop, I want to say something, as in Wait a minute—he wasn't there yesterday .

  2. What a surprise, as in Wait a minute! It was you who called the police? For a similar phrase, see hold everything .


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.

"Like, wait a minute, you didn't pay anything at all, and yet you still have complaints?" she said with a snicker.

From Barron's • Feb. 26, 2026

“I said, wait a minute, why am I even thinking about that? Why do I care what other people perceive of the CEO of Robinhood?” he said.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 26, 2025

He asked me to wait a minute as he handed his business card to a potential customer eyeing cars on the lot.

From Salon • Mar. 13, 2025

Except, wait a minute, who was that small, stocky man bouncing out of the pack and suddenly leading cheers?

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 27, 2024

I laughed, and he asked me to wait a minute so he could walk me home.

From "The Red Car to Hollywood" by Jennie Liu