in the blink of an eye

in the blink of an eye

So quickly as to seem almost imperceptible (i.e., in the space of time it takes a person to blink). The high-speed camera reveals how the frog uses its specialized tongue to capture the insect in the blink of an eye. Working on Wall Street, you get used to massive financial changes happening in the blink of an eye.
See also: blink, eye, of
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

in the blink of an eye

If something happens or is done in the blink of an eye, it happens or is done very quickly. It was all over in the blink of an eye. Note: People sometimes use in the blinking of an eye with the same meaning. Almost in the blinking of an eye, everything we owned had gone for ever.
See also: blink, eye, of
Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed.

in the blink of an eye

very quickly. informal
1995 Daily Mail It also has an unnerving way of flipping over from comedy to tragedy, or from tragedy to comedy, in the blink of an eye.
See also: blink, eye, of
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary

in the blink of an ˈeye

very quickly; in a short time: He was gone in the blink of an eye.
See also: blink, eye, of
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary

in the blink of an eye

Very quickly.
See also: blink, eye, of
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition.
See also:
  • in a/the flash of an/the eye
  • before (one) can blink
  • flick out
  • on the tip of (one's) tongue
  • on the tip of one's tongue
  • on the tip of tongue
  • on the tip of your tongue
  • blink of an eye
  • tongue
  • frog
References in periodicals archive
In the blink of an eye, a magnificent and terrible romance has blossmed and died: what we would call a great love.
La Paloma contains the voluptuous plenum of romantic madness as well as the deflating revelation that losing yourself in another person is always a story that happens in a champagne glass, in the blink of an eye.
Daniel Schmid: La Paloma
Since the animals swallow their skins in the blink of an eye, observations of dermatophagy were rare until Weldon and his colleagues enlisted the aid of animal caretakers to compile new data.
Dermatophagy: waste not, want not?
Get more comfort, in the blink of an eye It may sound hard to believe but we can forget to do something as intuitive as blinking when concentrating for long periods on near vision tasks.
Specsavers' reading tips for children
Blink, 47, who got his nickname because of rumours that he would kill in the blink of an eye, has not had his problems to seek recently.
COPS HUNT GANG THUG BLINK; Court order on 104mph rap