in a snap
At once, almost immediately, very quickly or suddenly.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“I can finish this task in a snap.”
“The technician fixed the broken internet connection in a snap, so we could finish our meeting on time.”
“With the deadline approaching, the experienced chef prepared the entire meal in a snap, impressing everyone with her speed and precision.”
The idiom arises from a shortening of earlier phrases such as in the snap of one's fingers. It relies upon the brevity of the manual gesture to denote an immediate duration of time.
- 01
cold snap
A short and sudden period of cold weather.
- 02
in the snap of one's fingers
In a snap.
- 03
snap at
To lash out with a verbal attack.
- 04
snap at someone's heels
To compete with someone closely, with the possibility of soon defeating or replacing them.
- 05
snap back
To recover quickly.
- 06
snap it up
To hurry, to proceed quickly.
- 07
snap judgment
A decision made without deliberation or in excessive haste.
- 08
snap out of
To terminate suddenly a mood, emotional state, or reverie.
Last updated August 10, 2026