How to Use on a whim in a Sentence

on a whim

idiom
Definition of on a whimnext
  • The bag can shift from a backpack to a tote should your needs happen to change on a whim.
    — Hannah Selinger, wsj.com, 1 Oct. 2023
  • Biden has come in before on a whim, unannounced, ABC News was told.
    — Maryalice Parks, ABC News, 8 Sep. 2023
  • Again, to be clear, there’s no basis in this notion that Texas could ditch its ties to the United States on a whim.
    — TIME, 1 Feb. 2024
  • Brooks Keebey, of Salem, bought $10 worth of Powerball tickets on a whim.
    — oregonlive, 16 Nov. 2022
  • The two decide to throw caution to the wind and get married on a whim, leading to a whirlwind of emotions.
    — Keith Langston, Peoplemag, 2 Nov. 2023
  • Most people aren’t going to go out and drop a sizable chunk of change on a thermal scope on a whim.
    — Amanda Oliver, Field & Stream, 21 Mar. 2024
  • As for the name Jasper, Brad admitted that it was decided more on a whim.
    — Emily J. Shiffer, Peoplemag, 8 Nov. 2023
  • Many have bought headphones or music downloads, gas to drive places on a whim or, like Lee, fast food.
    — Patrick O'Donnell, The Indianapolis Star, 9 May 2023
  • During their interview, on a whim, Prince asks Als to write a book with him; Als demurs.
    — Sophia Stewart, The Atlantic, 25 Sep. 2022
  • After high school, Isaac auditioned for Juilliard on a whim and got in.
    — Seth Abramovitch, The Hollywood Reporter, 27 Oct. 2022
  • This way, people who are simply walking by can decide to take part on a whim.
    — Nicole Kagan, BostonGlobe.com, 27 June 2023
  • The tenant signed the contract, only to leave the property a few months later out of fear that the agency could evict him again on a whim.
    — Jaime Moore-Carrillo, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 26 Mar. 2024
  • The two decided to drive out from Thousands Oaks on a whim earlier that day.
    — Ryan Fonseca, Los Angeles Times, 18 Apr. 2023
  • The two decided to drive out from Thousands Oaks on a whim earlier that day.
    — Ryan Fonseca, Los Angeles Times, 18 Apr. 2023
  • And many of them were nice enough to, on a whim, crash a high school prom becoming the main players in a legendary night at Eastern Greene High.
    — Indystar Sports, The Indianapolis Star, 8 June 2023
  • Matthew, enviably at home in his skin, works in private equity and can fly to Paris on a whim.
    — Heller McAlpin, The Christian Science Monitor, 29 Apr. 2024
  • Abortions that late in pregnancy are not allowed on a whim.
    — Politifact Staff Writer, Dallas News, 11 May 2023
  • Kagi The prospect of paying for a search engine might seem odd if you’re used to unlimited Googling on a whim.
    — Boone Ashworth, WIRED, 26 Nov. 2023
  • Wanting to pick up a sport, Maiya started playing basketball two years ago on a whim.
    — Thuc Nhi Nguyen, Los Angeles Times, 24 May 2024
  • Almost on a whim, Paul accepts, and small transgressions soon give way to larger ones.
    — The New Yorker, 22 Jan. 2024
  • But many of its customers are people spending hundreds of thousands of dollars a year at the store, who can buy the entire place out on a whim.
    — thehustle.co, 10 May 2024
  • So on a whim, Tempesta buys, sight unseen, a house in her mother’s native Sainte-Colombe, France.
    — Sandra Dallas, The Denver Post, 2 Apr. 2024
  • Studio executives don’t drop by on a whim, to see how things are coming along.
    — David Owen, The New Yorker, 7 Nov. 2022
  • Six storage receptacles and a queen-size bed were tucked away in the ceiling, ready to be summoned downward on a whim with the push of an iPhone button.
    — Patricia Marx, The New Yorker, 4 Sep. 2023
  • Much of the crowd was timid but curious — like Laura Rojo-Eddy, who decided on a whim to fly out from Texas.
    — Amy X. Wang, New York Times, 7 May 2024
  • No one signs a multi-million dollar Salesforce contract on a whim.
    — Prince Ghuman, Forbes, 9 June 2022
  • In other words, design your backyard with purpose and intention rather than on a whim.
    — Sophie Flaxman, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 July 2024
  • But one thing’s for sure: this isn’t something that Cadence stumbled across by accident, or decided to do on a whim.
    — Patrick Moorhead, Forbes, 23 Feb. 2024
  • Too many decisions are being made on a whim, as well as giving managers all of the power only to sack them 12 months later.
    — Liam Canning, Forbes, 30 Nov. 2023
  • Agents point out that the ultra-rich often buy on a whim, paying top dollar, and might tire of their new acquisitions just as quickly.
    — Hadley Meares, The Hollywood Reporter, 25 June 2022

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'on a whim.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Last Updated: