a sliver of time

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "a sliver of time" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe a very brief or small amount of time, often in a poetic or metaphorical context. Example: "In that sliver of time, everything changed, and I knew I had to act quickly."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Formal & Business

Sports

General

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

8 human-written examples

A sliver of time for other teams is an epoch for the Yankees, who define themselves by championships.

The New York Times

Spending even a sliver of time with Mr. Fagan, who is talkative and easygoing, suggests that he too is taken with the notion of a more inclusive world.

The New York Times - Arts

The hour is late, but there is still a sliver of time to pass a serious energy bill out of this Congress.

The New York Times

Because there was a sliver of time before the next appointment, the couple stopped for lunch on 10th Avenue at Bottino, a favorite among the gallery crowd.

The New York Times

Rakoff ruled that Picard, in his effort to recover money from Wilpon and Katz, could pick over only a sliver of time from their long years of investing with Madoff.

The New York Times - Sports

NEWARK — All it took for Rangers center Chris Drury to change Wednesday night's game was a split second, a sliver of time and space in front of Devils goaltender Martin Brodeur.

The New York Times - Sports

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

49 human-written examples

And considering that whales spend only a sliver of their time at the surface, that's a big gap in knowledge.

The New York Times

Right now, I feel good".J Jeter has begun backing away from the adjustments he incorporated over the winter with Long, who had urged him to simplify his mechanics at the plate by eliminating his stride, a change that, in theory, would give Jeter a sliver of extra time to adjust to any pitch.

The New York Times - Sports

He's getting beaten in the polls by Bachmann, who's spent a sliver of the time in Iowa that Pawlenty has, and Romney, who has gone out of his way to NOT come to Iowa at all.

Huffington Post

If Washington's chattering class spent a sliver of the time talking about smart ways to create jobs as it spends obsessing over the debt, we might actually put some Americans back to work and put a dent in that deficit total.

Huffington Post

@annie_parker Wingham produced and presented the UK's longest running TV series about the internet before founding social enterprise Slivers-of-Time.

The Guardian

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "a sliver of time" to add a touch of poeticism or drama to descriptions of fleeting moments. It works well when emphasizing the significance of something happening very quickly.

Common error

Avoid using "a sliver of time" in highly technical or scientific writing where precise measurements are needed. Opt for more specific units of time like milliseconds or nanoseconds.

Linguistic Context

The primary grammatical function of "a sliver of time" is that of a noun phrase functioning as an adverbial of time. It modifies a verb or clause by specifying a very short duration in which an action occurs or a state changes. As Ludwig AI explains, this is a correct and usable phrase.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

60%

Sports

20%

Formal & Business

10%

Less common in

Wiki

5%

Science

3%

Encyclopedias

2%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "a sliver of time" is a grammatically sound and evocative phrase used to describe a very short duration, often emphasizing the significance of events that occur within that brief period. Ludwig AI confirms its correctness and usability. While not exceedingly common, it appears frequently in news, media, and sports contexts. Related phrases include "a fleeting moment" and "a brief instant", offering similar nuances. When using the phrase, it's best to deploy it in descriptive or narrative contexts where the brevity of time adds impact, avoiding overly technical or scientific applications.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

a fleeting moment

Emphasizes the brevity and transience of the time period.

a brief instant

Highlights the immediacy and shortness of the duration.

a passing second

Focuses on the swift and transient nature of the moment.

a split second

Implies an extremely short, almost imperceptible amount of time.

a short interval

Suggests a limited period, but slightly longer than an instant.

a moment's pause

Highlights a brief interruption or cessation in activity.

a little while

Indicates a somewhat indefinite, but small, amount of time.

a quick spell

Suggests a short, temporary period or duration.

a snatch of time

Implies that the time was obtained or used quickly and perhaps opportunistically.

a fragment of time

Emphasizes that the time is just a small part of a larger whole.

FAQs

How can I use "a sliver of time" in a sentence?

"A sliver of time" is often used to emphasize how quickly something happens or how short a duration is. For example: "In that "a sliver of time", everything changed."

What are some alternatives to "a sliver of time"?

Alternatives include "a fleeting moment", "a brief instant", or "a split second", depending on the context and the specific nuance you want to convey.

Is "a sliver of time" formal or informal?

"A sliver of time" leans towards a slightly more descriptive or evocative register, suitable for both news articles and creative writing rather than highly formal documents.

What does "a sliver of time" mean?

It refers to a very small, almost insignificant amount of time, emphasizing its brevity and often implying that something important happened within that short period.