out of thin air

Examples

• All

• Sara, it's just that she came out of thin air, and she vanished BACK into thin air.

  Black Widow (1987)

• Suddenly, as if out of thin air, the Cable Guy is standing right behind him.

  Fiction book (1996)

• It's like he came out of thin air.

  The Green Hornet (2011)

• What do you expect me to do, pull money out of thin air?

  Cow Belles (2006)

• The money to pay for that stuff will come out of thin air.

  Blog text (7)

• Most of this debt was created out of thin air and is owed to banks with interest.

  Blog text (18)

• The driver of the car looked at Martin with confusion, as if Martin had materialized out of thin air.

  Fiction book (2002)

• Banks can create ("print") trillions of dollars out of thin air by extending credit.

  Blog text (2)

• Swann produces a thousand-dollar bill out of thin air.

  Fiction book (1995)

• Suddenly, a clawed hand materialized out of thin air, just in time to catch the dart before it reached its target.

  Fiction book (1998)

Synonyms

S

suddenly

vsout of thin air

∞ 1.0

Quickly and without warning

adds that the event occurs with no clear cause or explanation

A

all of a sudden

vsout of thin air

• Informal

987 2.7

Very quickly and without warning

is sudden while adding the idea of no clear cause

J

just like that

vsout of thin air

• Informal

183 4.2

Happens suddenly without warning or effort

focuses more on unexplained origin rather than mere surprise

O

out of nowhere

vsout of thin air

170 4.2

Happening suddenly without any warning

is sudden while also implying no clear cause

A

abruptly

vsout of thin air

145 3.3

In a sudden way that gives no warning

is sudden while also implying no clear cause or origin

O

of a sudden

vsout of thin air

• Informal

116 7.1

Happens quickly and without warning

is sudden but adds a sense of appearing from nowhere

O

out of the blue

vsout of thin air

• Informal

95 3.4

Something happens suddenly and without warning

is sudden yet stresses a mysterious, unexplained origin

I

in the blink of an eye

vsout of thin air

• Informal

50 3.3

Very quickly, in almost no time

is sudden with emphasis on unexplained appearance rather than speed

I

in a flash

vsout of thin air

• Informal

35 2.5

Very quickly in a single moment

is sudden while stressing mysterious origin rather than pure speed

F

from nowhere

vsout of thin air

28 4.1

Suddenly and without any warning

is sudden with an added sense of unexplained origin

A

all at once

vsout of thin air

13 3.0

Happening suddenly and without warning

is sudden but focuses on unexplained origin rather than simultaneity

I

in the wink of an eye

vsout of thin air

• Informal

1 3.5

Very quickly, in an instant

is sudden but adds the idea of lacking any clear cause

W

with a poof

vsout of thin air

• Informal

8.9

Suddenly and completely as if by magic

is sudden without clear cause rather than merely fast

P

presto

vsout of thin air

• Informal

7.8

Said when something happens suddenly, as if by magic

is sudden without clear cause rather than theatrical effect

Antonyms

E

explainable

7 3.8

Easy to understand

E

expected

1.2

Likely to happen or be true

How Unexpected

out of thin air

25 5.8

surprising

433 1.8

unexpected

392 2.5

expected

1.2

Surface Forms

Morphology

Etymology