lickety-split

adverb

lick·​e·​ty-split ˌli-kə-tē-ˈsplit How to pronounce lickety-split (audio)
: at great speed

Examples of lickety-split in a Sentence

the scared dog ran lickety-split for home
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.
Mexico had apparently agreed to it, but the deal was derailed by the Mexican-American War, and California lickety-split became a part of the United States. Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 1 Mar. 2025 Self-serve kiosks now allow people who prefer lickety-split transactions to simply scan a QR code, drop their package or unboxed return item, and leave. Heather Newman, Forbes, 22 Oct. 2024 Initially priced at $9.25 million, the price was lickety-split dropped to $8.75 million. Mark David, Robb Report, 6 Oct. 2023 In the handful of years between the end of World War I and the 1929 stock market crash, Los Angeles became, lickety-split, the aviation capital of the nation. Kevinisha Walker, Los Angeles Times, 17 June 2023 Thankfully, the accelerator isn’t overly sensitive, because pinning it rockets the MoonBike to its 26-mph claimed top speed lickety-split. Eric Stafford, Car and Driver, 17 Apr. 2023

Word History

Etymology

probably irregular from lick entry 1 + split

First Known Use

circa 1859, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of lickety-split was circa 1859

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Lickety-split.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lickety-split. Accessed 13 Mar. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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