wait/just a minute

idiom

informal
1
used to tell someone to wait or to stop for a brief time
"Aren't you finished yet?" "Just a minute. I'm almost done."
Wait a minute—I didn't hear you. Could you repeat what you said?
Wait just a minute, young man. Where do you think you're going?
2
used to express surprise or disbelief
Hey, wait a minute! That's not what you said yesterday!

Examples of wait/just a minute in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Is that — wait a minute — the same parking lot where the infamous (and allegedly false) Nicole Kidman after signing the Tom Cruise divorce papers meme takes place? Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 5 Mar. 2025 Taking just a minute or two to clean after your workout will help make your workout equipment last as long as possible. Andrea Beck, Better Homes & Gardens, 15 Feb. 2025 With just a minute left during the Tuesday, Jan. 28 basketball game between Saint Louis University and Virginia Commonwealth University, a brawl broke out between fans — delaying the game for a full seven minutes, the New York Post reported. Danielle Jennings, People.com, 29 Jan. 2025 Trump's staff tried to limit some calls to just a minute and asked that they be congratulatory in nature, not substantive. Jennifer Jacobs, CBS News, 18 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for wait/just a minute

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Cite this Entry

“Wait/just a minute.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wait%2Fjust%20a%20minute. Accessed 2 Apr. 2025.

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