at the (very) least
idiom
—used to indicate the least thing that is true, acceptable, desirable, or certain to happen
He wanted to win the race, or at the least, to finish second.
It will change your life or, at the very least, teach you something new.
At the very least, she deserves to be heard.
Examples of at the (very) least in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
But at the very least, the Dodgers have primed themselves for a favorable path, avoiding a best-of-three wild-card round that would have further stressed their pitching.
—
Jack Harris, Los Angeles Times, 27 Sep. 2024
Regardless of their form, they will be expected to reach the knockouts at the very least.
—Neel Shelat, Forbes, 26 Sep. 2024
The trainings often last one to three full days and, at the very least, should cover basic medical information about different types of abortions, as well as emotional and physical support techniques.
—Sarah Prager, SELF, 24 Sep. 2024
Campaign finance and government ethics experts say a payment to a presidential candidate’s spouse to appear at political fundraisers in an election is unusual, ethically questionable and should, at the very least, be properly noted in the disclosure forms.
—Cnn.com Wire Service, The Mercury News, 23 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for at the (very) least 
Jack Harris, Los Angeles Times, 27 Sep. 2024
Regardless of their form, they will be expected to reach the knockouts at the very least.
—Neel Shelat, Forbes, 26 Sep. 2024
The trainings often last one to three full days and, at the very least, should cover basic medical information about different types of abortions, as well as emotional and physical support techniques.
—Sarah Prager, SELF, 24 Sep. 2024
Campaign finance and government ethics experts say a payment to a presidential candidate’s spouse to appear at political fundraisers in an election is unusual, ethically questionable and should, at the very least, be properly noted in the disclosure forms.
—Cnn.com Wire Service, The Mercury News, 23 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for at the (very) least
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'at the (very) least.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near at the (very) least
Cite this Entry
“At the (very) least.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/at%20the%20%28very%29%20least. Accessed 1 Oct. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share