a-ha moment

a-ha moment

A moment or instance at which a sudden, revelatory idea, realization, or solution to a problem comes to mind. We'd been working on the problem at the lab for weeks, but the aha moment came to me when I was out gardening!
See also: moment
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.
See also:
  • eureka moment
  • ha
  • work the problem
  • solution
  • band-aid solution
  • trouble shared is a trouble halved
  • no probs
  • figure out the root of the problem
  • find the root of the problem
  • determine
References in periodicals archive
An a-ha moment occurs when the little guy in the car seat yells out "Pizza Hut" upon seeing the red roof sign or "McDonalds" when seeing the golden arches.
What will you do with a wordless book?
His sage advice proved an a-ha moment, and now he makes chocolate dice for the retail market as well as weddings and other events.
Chocolate dice
I had my own "a-ha moment" recently when organizing the content for this issue.
Our story as we choose to tell it
By May, when gay marriage was legalized in New York, I had that a-ha moment of enthusiasm, and support from my friends and family that pushed the idea into action.
A queer cuppa: from sourcing to roasting to packaging, these lesbians know their java
She says every health care organization comes to its "a-ha moment" at its own pace and in its own way,
'Green' commuting a win-win for everyone: hospital saves $20 million by getting staff to leave their cars at home
AP: What was your a-ha moment when you realized that "Nevermind" had become bigger than you?
Grohl, Novoselic reminisce about 'Nevermind'
"Our a-ha moment was when Zachary finally went [and] got his plate," Godfrey says.
At Mental Health Center, Smaller Cuts Still Sting
Do you think the band A-Ha gets bummed out when someone says they had an "A-Ha Moment" and it has nothing to do with them?
Loaded for laughs
Despite the a-ha moment with the oak tree, Moyer wasn't entirely convinced.
The landscape luminarie: before going all in on LEDs, Jan Moyer weighs their pros and cons
TRAVELLING atop a buffalo cart with a steady drizzle pattering on my head and a grumpy creature ambling along, unmindful of the occasional prods it got from its master's cane, with an entire village looking at us with ill-concealed amusement, I had my a-ha moment. Admiring the buffalo's dung-encased rump, and its whiplash of a tail, I wondered why people go for adrenalineinfused holidays.
PLEASURE OF INACTIVITY
He had an "a-ha moment" that he could connect psychology and drumming.
The rhythm of giving back: Steven Angel works the education beat
About a year into his second career, Tsukamoto had what he calls his "a-ha moment." His ware house received a 40-foot-long container filled with dozens of bags of steer manure, and his boss told him that he had to empty it by himself.
Beyond the numbers: Kent Tsukamoto, PricewaterhouseCoopers' new head, took an unconventional way up the corporate ladder
the a-ha moment A few months ago, I had the opportunity to speak at a CEO summit.
It's about time
Kudrow is the a-ha moment that the show builds to all season.
Parental stridence: guest actors relish playing long-lost family members whose presence accelerates action and sends characters into tailspins
Nieuwenhuizen called up Santa Maria, and the two continued to look at Nieuwenhuizen's designs and make adjustments to them, until that "a-ha moment" hit.
Hidden Radio Review: If Apple Built A Bluetooth Speaker, This Would Be It