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
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.
Even if China does not abandon its gray-zone playbook, such steps would, at the very least, better prepare Taiwan for a conflict that such coercion has made all the more likely. David Sacks, Foreign Affairs, 8 Nov. 2024 Still, America’s wait-and-see posture could, at the very least, begin to thaw. Bryan Mena, CNN, 3 Nov. 2024 Dragon Age: The Veilguard arrived with pretty solid critic scores, racking up an 84 on Metacritic, translating into what appear to be pretty solid sales, at the very least, putting up the highest playercount EA or BioWare has seen on Steam, with seemingly good console performance as well. Paul Tassi, Forbes, 2 Nov. 2024 These two are not the only lawmakers to signal approval toward raising taxes on billionaires, or at the very least abstaining from offering them further cuts. Nina Turner, Newsweek, 31 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for at the (very) least 

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 21 Nov. 2024.

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