fast forward to now

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "fast forward to now" is grammatically correct and can be used in written English.
It is usually used to indicate a sudden jump in time, where the speaker wants to skip over the details of what happened in between and focus on the current moment. Example: "We met in college, but fast forward to now, we have been married for 10 years." This sentence implies that a lot has happened in the time between college and now, but the speaker wants to skip over those details and focus on their current relationship status.

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Academia

Lifestyle

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

32 human-written examples

Fast forward to now.

Independent

Fast forward to now, and a very interesting thing just happened.

The Guardian - Opinion

Fast forward to now, and the Labour mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, makes waves.

The Guardian - Opinion

Fast forward to now, as deadly Hurricane Harvey pummels the greater Houston area.

The Washington Post

Fast forward to now and for the first time in a long time, Monroe feels financially and emotionally secure.

The Guardian - Lifestyle

Fast forward to now, when millions of younger women — and many men, too — are as unfamiliar with liquid bleach as they are with foundation garments or cigars.

The New York Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

28 human-written examples

His post fast forwards to now, and to his description of new research showing the depth of losses of fauna, and what that loss means for the flora: Now my friend and colleague Rhett Harrison has published a paper that paints a far worse picture.

The New York Times

[LAUGHTER] PETER ENNS: Now, fast forward to today.

Cornell University

Fast forward to today, and it is now doing one million text messages per day.

TechCrunch

Now fast forward to today's world of seemingly endless TV channels and the truly endless Internet.

Huffington Post

Fast-forward to now, and we know Mr. Branson's answer to his own question.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "fast forward to now" when you want to quickly transition the narrative to the present, skipping over intervening events or details. This works well for summarizing a series of events efficiently.

Common error

Avoid using "fast forward to now" when the context requires a specific timeframe. If precision is needed, opt for explicit dates or periods instead of a general jump to the present.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "fast forward to now" functions as a transitional phrase, guiding the audience to a later point in time. It's commonly used to shift the narrative from a past event or situation to the present, as supported by Ludwig's examples.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

80%

Academia

10%

Formal & Business

10%

Less common in

Science

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "fast forward to now" is a common and grammatically correct phrase used to quickly transition a narrative to the present. As Ludwig AI explains, it's generally used to skip over details and focus on the current situation. It is most frequently found in news and media contexts. For more formal settings, consider alternatives such as "at this point in time". The phrase is best used when the intervening details are not essential to the story, allowing for a more efficient and focused narrative.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

jumping to the present

Emphasizes the transition to the current time.

arriving at the present day

Highlights reaching the current time after a period.

bringing us to the present

Suggests leading or guiding to the current situation.

turning to today

Focuses on shifting attention to the current day.

nowadays

Refers to the current period or era.

as things stand today

Indicates the current state of affairs.

at this point in time

Highlights the current moment in a more formal way.

in the current climate

Refers to the existing circumstances or conditions.

in today's world

Focuses on the modern era and its characteristics.

moving to the present moment

Suggests shifting focus to the immediate now.

FAQs

How can I use "fast forward to now" in a sentence?

You can use "fast forward to now" to jump ahead in a narrative, like in the sentence, "We started as rivals, but "fast forward to now", and we're best friends."

What does "fast forward to now" mean?

"Fast forward to now" means to jump ahead in time to the present moment, skipping over what happened in between.

What can I say instead of "fast forward to now"?

You can use alternatives like "jumping to the present", "arriving at the present day", or "bringing us to the present" depending on the context.

Is "fast forward to now" grammatically correct?

Yes, "fast forward to now" is grammatically correct and commonly used in English to indicate a jump in time.