the next minute

USAGE SUMMARY

"the next minute" is a correct and usable phrase in written English.
It is used to indicate that something happened almost immediately after something else. Example sentence: I looked away for a second, and the next minute the car was gone.

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

58 human-written examples

The next minute I'm fine.

The New York Times

The next minute it hasn't.

The Economist

The next minute she's gone.

The Guardian

For the next minute they were silent.

The New Yorker

The next minute... LISA: Centro-fly.

The New York Times

And the next minute you're Cancer Girl.

The New York Times - Health

The next minute the whale was hit.

The Guardian

The next minute, they are invisible.

The New York Times - Travel

The next minute, he knows all.

The New York Times

The next minute it's full of death.

The New York Times

One minute you're playing, the next minute you're down".

The New York Times - Sports

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "the next minute" to vividly describe rapid changes or unexpected occurrences in narratives or reports.

Common error

Avoid using "the next minute" when referring to an action that spanned longer than a minute. This phrase implies a nearly instantaneous transition.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "the next minute" functions as an adverbial phrase, modifying a verb or clause to indicate when something occurred. It specifies that an event happened almost immediately after a prior event, as seen in many examples provided by Ludwig.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

98%

Formal & Business

1%

Science

1%

Less common in

Social Media

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "the next minute" is a common adverbial phrase used to indicate that something occurs almost immediately after a previous event. As Ludwig AI confirms, the phrase is grammatically sound and appropriate for various writing contexts, although it is particularly prevalent in news and media sources. When using "the next minute", be mindful of its implication of immediacy and ensure it accurately reflects the sequence of events. Consider alternatives like "immediately afterwards" or "in the blink of an eye" for slight variations in meaning.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

immediately afterwards

Focuses on the immediacy of the subsequent event.

the very next moment

Reinforces the immediacy of the succeeding event.

shortly thereafter

Emphasizes a brief duration between events.

the moment after

Directly indicates the event following another.

almost immediately

Stresses the lack of delay between events.

in the blink of an eye

Highlights the speed and suddenness of the transition.

in an instant

Conveys a sense of something happening almost instantaneously.

right after that

Highlights a direct sequence of occurrences.

directly following that

Emphasizes the close temporal proximity of events.

subsequently

Indicates that an event occurs after another, often in a chain of events.

FAQs

How can I use "the next minute" in a sentence?

Use "the next minute" to describe a situation where something changes suddenly or unexpectedly, for example: "One minute she was laughing, "the next minute" she was crying."

What are some alternatives to "the next minute"?

Alternatives include phrases like "immediately afterwards", "shortly thereafter", or "in the blink of an eye", depending on the specific nuance you want to convey.

Is there a difference between "the next minute" and "a minute later"?

"The next minute" suggests a more immediate and abrupt transition, while "a minute later" indicates a specific duration of time passing.

Can I use "the next minute" to describe a future event?

While possible, "the next minute" is typically used to describe events that happened very soon after a previous event, rather than predicting future events. For future events, consider using "in a minute" or "shortly after".