at the earliest

idiom

—used to indicate the earliest possible time when something will happen or be done

The job will not be finished until next year at the (very) earliest.

Examples of at the earliest in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

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While Trump cannot act on these plans until Inauguration Day on January 20, 2025, at the earliest, immigrant rights groups, including the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), have been preparing for his return for months and are vowing to fight the operation in the courts. —

Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 6 Nov. 2024 No precipitation was expected in the Baltimore area until Thursday at the earliest. —

Baltimore Sun Staff, Baltimore Sun, 4 Nov. 2024 The bureau does not expect to revisit its logging plan for Oregon’s Coast Range until 2028 at the earliest. —

April Ehrlich, ProPublica, 12 Nov. 2024 Complete unofficial results are not expected until Wednesday morning at the earliest, but the Free Press expects to be able to declare some winners through partial unofficial results, based on projections made by the Associated Press. —

Paul Egan, Detroit Free Press, 6 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for at the earliest

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“At the earliest.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/at%20the%20earliest. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.

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