snap to attention

phrase

: to move quickly to a position of standing silently with the body stiff and straight, the feet together, and both arms at the sides
The soldier snapped to attention.
—sometimes used figuratively
The children snapped to attention and got quiet when the teacher clapped his hands.

Examples of snap to attention in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Rising bond yields are one of the few forces in the world strong enough to get politicians to snap to attention. — Christopher Rugaber, Los Angeles Times, 2 Sep. 2026 Because of this narrative, my body would only snap to attention in relationships when there was a lot of toxic behaviour and arguing — everything else presented to me as boring or even unattractive. — Moraya Seeger Degeare, Lmft, refinery29.com, 25 May 2023 Surely, if climate disasters get worse and more frequent, countries will snap to attention. — Zachary B. Wolf, CNN, 10 Jan. 2022

Rhymes for snap to attention

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Browse Nearby Words

snap-the-whip
snap to attention
snap to it
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Snap to attention.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/snap%20to%20attention. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

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