wait a minute/moment/second
idiom
1
—used to tell someone to stop and wait briefly
Wait a minute. I need to tie my shoe.
If you will just wait a second, I can explain what happened.
2
—used to interrupt someone or something because one has noticed, thought of, or remembered something
Wait a second—that's not what she said.
Wait a minute. I just remembered where I put the keys.
Examples of wait a minute/moment/second in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Make sure to wait a minute or so for the cream to absorb into the skin, especially right before bedtime.
—
Jessie Quinn, People.com, 2 Oct. 2024
Except, wait a minute, who was that small, stocky man bouncing out of the pack and suddenly leading cheers?
—Bill Plaschke, Los Angeles Times, 27 Sep. 2024
Do a trial run by watering for a count of ten, and then wait a minute before checking how deeply the water penetrated with your finger.
—Andy Wilcox, Better Homes & Gardens, 13 Sep. 2024
But, wait a second: If so many people are opting for booze-free or low-ABV concoctions, isn’t a beverage center a little counterintuitive?
—Kelsey Mulvey, Sunset Magazine, 26 Aug. 2024
But wait a minute: Willy keeps on looking at the camera, and David keeps telling him to stop saying inappropriate things.
—Jordan Mintzer, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 May 2024
While a whole other side was saying, well, wait a minute, what about Nicole Brown Simpson?
—NPR, 11 Apr. 2024
Shake it up and wait a minute for the slush to melt before pouring.
—Jason O'Bryan, Robb Report, 27 Jan. 2024
When prompted, select the R2-4K Pro from the list of devices and wait a second or two for the dash cam to connect to the app.
—PCMAG, 31 Jan. 2024
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of
Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback
about these examples.
Jessie Quinn, People.com, 2 Oct. 2024
Except, wait a minute, who was that small, stocky man bouncing out of the pack and suddenly leading cheers?
—Bill Plaschke, Los Angeles Times, 27 Sep. 2024
Do a trial run by watering for a count of ten, and then wait a minute before checking how deeply the water penetrated with your finger.
—Andy Wilcox, Better Homes & Gardens, 13 Sep. 2024
But, wait a second: If so many people are opting for booze-free or low-ABV concoctions, isn’t a beverage center a little counterintuitive?
—Kelsey Mulvey, Sunset Magazine, 26 Aug. 2024
But wait a minute: Willy keeps on looking at the camera, and David keeps telling him to stop saying inappropriate things.
—Jordan Mintzer, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 May 2024
While a whole other side was saying, well, wait a minute, what about Nicole Brown Simpson?
—NPR, 11 Apr. 2024
Shake it up and wait a minute for the slush to melt before pouring.
—Jason O'Bryan, Robb Report, 27 Jan. 2024
When prompted, select the R2-4K Pro from the list of devices and wait a second or two for the dash cam to connect to the app.
—PCMAG, 31 Jan. 2024
Dictionary Entries Near wait a minute/moment/second
Cite this Entry
“Wait a minute/moment/second.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wait%20a%20minute%2Fmoment%2Fsecond. Accessed 15 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share