| "Won't be long" (abbr.) |
The Telegraph Cross Atlantic |
08 Mar 2026 |
| "gimme a min" |
USA Today |
05 Jan 2026 |
| "Gimme a sec!" |
USA Today |
02 Jan 2026 |
| "Putting my phone down a sec" |
LA Times Daily |
01 Jan 2026 |
| "Excuse me for a sec" |
Universal |
08 Dec 2025 |
| "Gimme a sec" |
New York Times |
22 Nov 2025 |
| "Just a sec," in a text |
New York Times |
12 Nov 2025 |
| "Hang on a sec" |
New York Times |
15 Oct 2025 |
| Initialism for a pause in an online chat |
The Telegraph Cross Atlantic |
12 Oct 2025 |
| "Hold on a sec," in a text |
USA Today |
17 Sep 2025 |
| Texting abbreviation you'd type when you say "hang on a second" |
|
|
| Texter's "Gimme a sec" |
LA Times Daily |
27 May 2025 |
| Texter's "Just a moment" |
LA Times Daily |
16 Apr 2025 |
| Letters meaning "gimme one sec" |
USA Today |
05 Apr 2025 |
| "I'll return in a sec," in texts |
LA Times Daily |
01 Apr 2025 |
| Message when stepping away from the keyboard |
|
|
| Texting abbreviation you'd type when you say "hang on a second" |
|
|
| It indicates a shorter gap than "cu l8r" |
The Telegraph Cross Atlantic |
21 Feb 2025 |
| Texter's "hold on..." |
Wall Street Journal |
08 Feb 2025 |
| "I gotta log off for a sec" |
USA Today |
13 Jan 2025 |
| Texter's "Gimme a sec" (abbr.) |
|
|
| Texter's "Hang on a sec" |
New York Times |
17 Sep 2024 |
| "Gimme a mo," online |
|
|
| "I'll return shortly," in shorthand |
New York Times |
30 Jun 2024 |
| British Railways Board, familiarly (1, 1, 1) |
|
|
| "Hang on," in a text |
Commuter |
23 May 2024 |
| "Will return soon," when texting |
|
|
| Texter's "Hang on one moment" |
USA Today |
21 Apr 2024 |
| "Leaving the chat for a sec" |
LA Times Daily |
02 Apr 2024 |
| "Just a sec!," in a text |
USA Today |
26 Mar 2024 |
| "I'll return soon," in texting shorthand |
New York Times Mini |
11 Mar 2024 |
| "Taking a short break" text |
Newsday |
07 Mar 2024 |
| Texting abbreviation you'd type when you say "hang on a second" |
|
|
| Short "I need a short break" |
LA Times Daily |
19 Feb 2024 |
| "mom's calling, gimme a sec" |
|
|
| "Gimme a sec!" |
Universal |
04 Feb 2024 |
| Texter's "Hang on a sec" |
LA Times Mini |
25 Jan 2024 |
| “I shall return,” in online shorthand |
Wall Street Journal |
02 Jan 2024 |
| "Gimme one sec," in a text |
Universal |
18 Dec 2023 |
| Be right back on the internet (3) |
|
|
| "gimme 1 sec bro" |
Universal |
17 Sep 2023 |
| "Putting my phone down a sec" |
LA Times Daily |
28 Aug 2023 |
| 'Gimme a sec,' online |
Wall Street Journal |
17 Aug 2023 |
| 'I'll return in a moment,' online |
Wall Street Journal |
08 Aug 2023 |
| 'Gimme a sec' |
USA Today |
24 Jul 2023 |
| 'Just a sec,' in texts |
New York Times |
22 Jul 2023 |
| Texter's "Hold that thought" |
LA Times Daily |
02 Jul 2023 |
| "One sec," in a text |
Universal |
11 Jun 2023 |
| Texter's 'Hold that thought' |
New York Times |
05 Apr 2023 |
| "I'll return very shortly," in texts |
Premier Sunday |
19 Mar 2023 |
| 'Hold on,' in a message |
New York Times |
02 Mar 2023 |
| Texter's "Hang on a sec" |
LA Times Daily |
22 Feb 2023 |
| "Don't go anywhere," in a text |
Universal |
22 Jan 2023 |
| "Gimme a sec," in texts |
Universal |
06 Jan 2023 |
| "I'll return shortly," in IMs |
Universal |
07 Dec 2022 |
| “I’ll return soon,” in a text |
New York Times |
07 Nov 2022 |
| 'I'll return soon,' in a text |
New York Times |
07 Nov 2022 |
| 'Hang on a sec' |
New York Times |
08 Oct 2022 |
| Texter's "Gimme a sec" |
LA Times Daily |
13 Sep 2022 |
| Texter’s “hold on a sec” |
New York Times |
23 Jun 2022 |
| Texter's 'hold on a sec' |
New York Times |
23 Jun 2022 |
| "Hang on a sec," in a text |
Universal |
18 Jun 2022 |
| "Gimme a sec," in a text |
Universal |
27 Dec 2021 |
| 'Gimme one sec,' in a text |
USA Today |
30 Nov 2021 |
| Texter’s “Gimme a minute” |
Wall Street Journal |
18 May 2021 |
| “1 sec” |
Wall Street Journal |
06 May 2021 |
| ''Returning soon'' letters |
Newsday |
06 May 2021 |
| 'Gimme a minute,' in an online chat |
USA Today |
15 Sep 2020 |
| “Just a sec,” in text-speak |
Wall Street Journal |
15 Jul 2020 |
| 'Hang on a sec,' in texts |
|
|
| "Hang on a sec," in texts |
LA Times Daily |
29 May 2020 |
| 'Just a sec!,' in a text |
New York Times |
19 Feb 2020 |
| Texter's "I will return shortly" |
LA Times Daily |
06 Oct 2019 |
| Texter's 'I will return shortly' |
|
|
| "Hold on a sec," in texts |
LA Times Daily |
04 Aug 2019 |
| 'Hold on a sec,' in texts |
|
|
| 'Gimme a sec,' in chats |
Wall Street Journal |
25 May 2019 |
| Texter's "Just a sec" |
Universal |
08 Apr 2019 |
| Palindromic "Hang tight" text |
Universal |
12 Feb 2019 |
| "hold on 1 sec ok?" |
|
|
| Texter's "Just a sec" |
|
|
| "Hold on a sec," in texts |
|
|
| Texter's "I will return shortly" |
|
|
| Palindromic "Hang tight" text |
|
|
| "Gimme a sec," in chats |
|
|
| 'Returning soon,' in texts |
Wall Street Journal |
26 Sep 2018 |
| Texter's "Need a short break" |
LA Times Daily |
03 Jun 2018 |
| Texter's 'Need a short break' |
|
|
| 'I'll return shortly,' in a text |
New York Times |
13 May 2018 |
| "Returning soon," in texts |
|
|
| "I'll return shortly," in a text |
|
|
| Texter's "Need a short break" |
|
|
| "I need a short break" |
LA Times Daily |
01 May 2016 |
| Texter's "Hang on a minute" |
LA Times Daily |
18 Apr 2016 |
| Texter's "Gimme a sec" |
LA Times Daily |
25 Mar 2016 |
| 'I'm away from the computer for a few minutes,' in three letters |
Wall Street Journal |
16 Oct 2015 |
| 'Putting the phone down for a sec,' in textspeak |
New York Times |
13 Jun 2015 |
| 'Just a minute,' in texts |
New York Times |
10 May 2015 |
| 'Hang on a sec,' to a texter |
|
|
| "Just a minute," in texts |
|
|
| "Putting the phone down for a sec," in textspeak |
|
|
| "Hang on a sec," to a texter |
|
|
| "I'm away from the computer for a few minutes," in three letters |
|
|
| "I need a short break," in chat rooms |
|
|
| "I need to step away for a sec," in an IM |
|
|
| "Returning soon," in online shorthand |
|
|
| "One sec, gotta pee" |
|
|
| Texter's "I'm away for a moment" |
|
|
| Texter's "I'm away for a moment" |
|
|
| "Hang on a sec," online |
|
|
| "Hang on a sec," online |
|
|
| Cybertalk for "I shall return momentarily" |
|
|
| "Have to step away for a sec," briefly |
|
|