before one knows it

phrase

Rapidly (and sometimes unexpectedly).

“One lot steals a goat from another lot, before you know it they're ripping each other to pieces.”

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Meanings

phrase
  1. Rapidly (and sometimes unexpectedly).

    One lot steals a goat from another lot, before you know it they're ripping each other to pieces.

Cite this entry
APA

before one knows it. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/before%20one%20knows%20it

MLA

“before one knows it.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/before%20one%20knows%20it. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “before one knows it,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/before%20one%20knows%20it.

Source: before one knows it on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.