wait a minute
To stop or pause briefly. This phrase is usually used to initiate an interruption. Wait a minute, I'm confused. What exactly happened when you went to the mall? Now wait a minute! I did nothing wrong, and I won't stand to hear such nasty accusations! I think we should wait a minute before we start, just to see if anyone else shows up.
wait a minute
1. Stop, I want to say something, as in Wait a minute-he wasn't there yesterday.
2. What a surprise, as in Wait a minute! It was you who called the police? For a similar phrase, see hold everything.
wait a ˈminute/ˈmoment/ˈsecond
1 wait for a short time: Can you wait a second while I make a call?
2 used when you have just noticed or remembered something, or had a sudden idea: Wait a minute — this isn’t the right key.